A Dangerous Game
by SciFiGleek
Summary: When Kurt is reaped for the Hunger Games, he doubts he will live. However, when he allies with a boy named Blaine Anderson, he might just have something to fight for. But, only one can survive... or can rules be broken?
1. On the Train

**Me: I know I have a lot of other projects I'm working on right now, but I really like this concept so here it is. I tried to make it as different from other Glee/HG crossovers out there as possible. Kurt, could you please tell the nice people what to expect?  
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**Kurt: Character death obviously, there are also suicides and bloodshed**. **Absolutely horrible. You know I don't approve of violence...**

**Me:**** I know that Kurt, I'm sorry. But it is a story that must be told.** **Now do I own** **Glee or Hunger Games?**

**Kurt:** **No.** **If you did own Glee, Blaine and I would kiss a lot more wouldn't we?**

**Me: Yes, yes you would! There would be whole make-out sessions in every episode. And you would be required to be shirtless at least half of the time.  
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** Kurt: Now I'm kind of glad RIB owns Glee! **

**Me: Really? Okay, well tell me the next time you get a solo song. Now Kurt, what should I call this fan fiction?**

**Kurt: How about "A Dangerous Game"?**

**Me: Catchy, I like it. The title I wanted originally was "The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Kurt and Blaine", but it wouldn't fit in the little box. **

**Kurt: Oh I get it! Very clever.  
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**Me: Thank you! Oh and Kurt**...

**Kurt: Yeah?**

**Me: May the odds be _ever_ in your favor!**

**Kurt: *rolls his eyes and walks away***

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><p><strong>A Dangerous Game<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter One: On the Train<strong>

Kurt sat in silence as the train took him away from the home he knew he would never see again. He wasn't a killer and he had no extraordinary skills; he would be dead the second the Games began. Kurt watched through the window as the factories of District Eight disappeared from sight, a single tear trailing down his face.

"Where do you think Sue is?" Rachel, the female tribute and Kurt's best friend and brother's fiancé, asked. Her voice was quiet.

Kurt wiped the tears from his eyes, before turning to her. "I don't know. She probably doesn't think we're worth mentoring."

Sue Sylvester was the winner of the 43rd Hunger Games, the most recent one from their district, and therefore their mentor. There were rumors that she was completely insane.

"Now don't say that Porcelain," Kurt and Rachel turned in their chairs to see the imposing woman enter the room.

"Excuse me! What did you just call me?" Kurt asked, glaring at the woman.

"Porcelain," she said, sitting down in the chair across from them. "I have to mentor you. That's my job. Now here's what you need to know: neither of you are going to win."

Rachel's jaw dropped, shocked at the woman's cold statement. Kurt opened his mouth to say something but she interrupted, continuing with what she was saying. "But what I can do is make sure that you aren't the first to get knocked off," she smirked. "Now I would advise that you both go, get some rest. Watch the other reapings. Get to know your competition. Who knows? One of you might prove me wrong." She got up, looking down at the two teenagers. "May the odds be ever in your favor," she said sarcastically before leaving.

Rachel glared after her, "I can't believe that woman! She could at least try! I mean, it's probably true…"

"Don't talk like that," Kurt said gently. "Let's do as she said, watch the other reapings. Get to know what to expect. That girl from last year couldn't have made it to number three with no help from her. Sue can't be completely useless."

Rachel sighed, "I suppose your right. I'll see you later." She gave him a quick hug before going off to her room.

Kurt looked sadly after her. _She shouldn't be here_, he thought. Rachel was getting married in a few months, and even though Kurt though she and Finn were way too young, at least she had a future waiting for her. Kurt followed her, trying to remember where his room was; he had only been shown where it was once and hadn't been paying much attention at the time. Halfway down the hallway, Kurt spotted his escort, Mr. Schue, and almost decided to go back the way he had come. Schue honestly was trying to be helpful, but he was way too positive.

Kurt grimaced when the man called his name. "Where are you going? I thought you were having your first meeting with Sue."

"Yeah, she had other plans. She basically told Rachel and me to kiss our lives goodbye and go familiarize ourselves with our soon-to-be-murders."

"Well, watching the reapings won't hurt, but I'll talk to her, okay?" Schue moved past him, giving his shoulder a comforting squeeze.

"Thanks," Kurt said, sliding open the door to his room. It was larger than his family's entire apartment back in District Eight. Kurt sat down on the bed; it squished down at least two inches. _How do the people in the Capitol justify living like this?_ Kurt's home was so small, there was only one room and the one window there was had to remain closed to avoid letting smog into the apartment. Once when Kurt was little he had opened the window and the entire room had become unlivable for a week; he and his dad had to sleep in the hallway until it aired out. This was before his dad had met Carole, who was now Kurt's stepmother.

Kurt laid back on the bed, sighing. He managed to doze for a few minutess before the sound of the viewing screen turning on awoke him.

"Now have we had some exciting reapings today!" Caesar Flickerman's smiling face was projected on the wall. The image of District One came up on the screen. "From District One, Noah Puckerman and Sugar Motta. Noah," Caesar paused a moment listening to what someone off camera was saying, "Oh alright, I'm being told that he prefers to be called 'Puck'. Well he sure looks tough, doesn't he? Look at that Mohawk. Now Sugar Motta may not look like much, but don't be fooled folks; her father is the mayor so be sure she will be receiving gifts throughout the Game."

"Bit unfair don't you think, Caesar?" Kurt said to the man on the screen. The man was right Sugar really didn't look like much; she was dressed in a bright pink dress and heels. She probably wasn't much of a fighter, but Caesar was right about another thing too; her family would be showering her with gifts to help her through the Games.

The screen changed back to Caesar and he made a few jokes and comments before it changed to the second District. The two tributes looked fierce. Sebastian Smythe actually volunteered, smiling when he stood up on the platform. The girl, Harmony, was as small as Rachel, but she had a wild look in her eyes.

"They will be a pair to reckon with." Caesar said. "Now, every Hunger Games comes with a little bit of drama, but these next two tributes have something tragically in common."

Kurt sat up, curious.

The reaping from District Three started to replay. "Chelsea Anderson," the little girl who was called crept onto the stage, keeping her head low. She couldn't be older than twelve, probably her first year entered. Her curly black hair hung in a veil around her face. She looked so small and defenseless; Kurt couldn't believe her District was so heartless that no one volunteered for her. The woman who had read her name moved onto the boy's bowl. She grabbed a paper from the bowl, "Blaine…" Her eyes widened. She cleared her throat, "Blaine Anderson." _Siblings? Has that ever happened before?_ Kurt wondered. It was horrible; they couldn't be expected to compete against each other. Just another reason to hate the Hunger Games... and the Capitol.

"That's right folks," Caesar said. "Siblings." You could see from his face that he was as sickened by the two being chosen as Kurt was.

From District Four there were two more volunteers; David Karofsky and Santana Lopez. Kurt didn't understand why anyone would volunteer for the Games; it was like asking for death. Absolutely insane. _Insane, hmm maybe Sue volunteered_.

The two from District Five weren't likely to last the bloodbath at the Cornucopia. The girl, Becky Jackson, was unbelievably small. Honestly there were some who shouldn't be made to compete; it simply wasn't right. Then again _no one_ should be made to compete. The boy's name was Jacob and he had a huge amount of red hair. Somehow he managed to look smaller than Becky, who was carrying herself surprisingly well.

An Avox came in with dinner, so Kurt didn't quite catch the name of the girl from District Six; she looked about seven although he knew she had to be older than that or she wouldn't have been entered. The boy's name was Mike Chang.

Matt Rutherford and Tina Cohen-Chang were reaped from Seven.

Caesar appeared on the screen, "This promises to be a very exciting Hunger Games this year! Now let's talk to a very interesting young man from District Eight." Caesar's image was moved to the left side of the screen and an unmistakable picture of District Eight filled the other half. Along with... Finn! Kurt smiled at the sight of his brother. "Finn Hudson everyone. Now Finn, I understand that you are very close to both tributes this year is that right?" there was a slight delay before Finn answered.

"Kurt is my brother and Rachel is my fiancé, yes." Finn said, his voice sounding like he had been crying.

"That must be hard for you. I hate to ask this but the viewers will want to know: Who are you routing for?"

Finn's eyes widened. "I don't know. Rachel... both of them. One of them has to be the winner. I can't lose them both."

Caesar nodded. "I understand and I'm sure there are many out there routing for them as well."

_I sure hope so_, Kurt knew that his brother was secretly hoping for Rachel was to the one to return home. Kurt didn't blame him; he hoped she would be the winner too. They replayed the reaping, in which Kurt was glad to see he had managed to keep his composure. He really didn't remember much of what happened; after his name was called everything had been a complete blur.

At least the worst hadn't happened; some local kids had threatened to sneak into the District Hall and put Kurt's name into the girls' bowl. It would have been humiliating to be picked as the female tribute. And if he had, Kurt doubted that Mayor Figgins would have done anything to stop Kurt from going. Truthfully, Finn and the rest of Kurt's family were probably the only ones hoping that he wouldn't die. Kurt was gay, and in District Eight, people weren't exactly accepting. Kurt had spent his entire life being mocked, but it really didn't faze him anymore. He could fight with words, but there was no way he was prepared or willing to fight with weapons.

Caesar moved on to District Nine. The tributes from there were a young man named Rory Flanagan and a girl named Mercedes Jones.

From District Ten, a tall dreadlocked teenager named Joe Hart and Brittany Pierce, who had a large cat that was lounging over her shoulders.

Sam Evans, a blonde boy with impossibly large lips, and a tough looking girl named Lauren Zizes were reaped from District Eleven.

The girl from District Twelve, Quinn Fabray, looked like should could handle herself, but the boy, Artie Abrams, didn't stand a chance. Again there were some people who simply shouldn't be required to enter in the Games; Artie was in a wheel chair. He paled as soon as his name was called and he had to be carried on stage as they couldn't get his wheel chair up the stairs. Caesar reappeared, "So those are this year's…"

"Kurt!" Rachel came crashing into Kurt's room. "Did you see? Finn was…"

"I saw," Kurt turned away from the projection. He patted the bed and she sat down next to him nibbling on a bit of the bread that was left on the plate the Avox had brought in. "Some of the Careers looked fierce. Did you see the part about those siblings from Three?" he asked.

Rachel nodded, "And I thought we had bad luck. Um… I just wanted to tell you that Sue wants to see both of us first thing tomorrow morning."

"Oh wonderful," Kurt said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Alright I'll see you tomorrow Rach."

"'Night," she said, getting up and sliding the door quietly closed behind her.

"Good night," Kurt said even though he knew she couldn't now hear him. He let out a long sigh, collapsing back on the bed and rubbing his eyes. The show had ended, and since Rachel had closed the sliding doors, the lights had switched off. Kurt lay there in the darkness, and eventually managed to fall into a fitful sleep filled with nightmares.

The next morning a groggy Kurt met up with Rachel and Sue in the dining car. Schue was nowhere to be seen. "Hello Porcelain," Sue said in way of greeting. "Buttchin," she was referring to Schue, "convinced me that you two might not be as hopeless as you seem, so I've decided to give you a few words of advice."

"_Helpful_ advice?" Kurt clarified, filling his plate with the mouth-watering foods lying on platters on the table before him.

"What I told you before _was_ helpful advice. You're familiar with your competition now, right?"

Rachel shrugged, "I suppose so."

"Now who do you think will be the easiest for you to kill at the Cornucopia?" she sipped at her energy drink.

Both teens were silent, and then Rachel said quietly "Artie Abrams." Kurt nodded.

"Wrong," Sue snapped, making them both jump, "neither of _you_ are going to kill at the Cornucopia. Leave that to the Careers and hope they get rid of a few of each other in the process. The two of you get whatever is closest to you in way of supplies and get out of there."

"Can't argue with that," Kurt admitted.

"Now we'll be arriving in the Capitol soon. My best advice is for you two to suck up to those rainbow haired freaks. Their rich and they will be your sponsors if they like you."

"How on earth did you ever get sponsors?" Kurt asked before he could stop himself.

Sue looked slightly impressed at his gumption. "I didn't _need_ sponsors," she said sourly. "When we get to the Capitol, go wave and greet your adoring fans. Just don't forget that they will be betting on how and when you will die."

Suddenly the light coming in through the windows started to flash as they went through a tunnel. Kurt hurried to the nearest window, Rachel closely following. The huge city came into view, large shinny towers so different from the smokestacks of home.

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><p><strong>New chapter before Glee comes back, promise.<strong> **Be a sponsor to this story and send me a gift in the form of a review. **


	2. Prisoners in Luxury

**A Dangerous Game**

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><p><strong>Chapter Two: Prisoners in Luxury<strong>

Sue abandoned them as soon as they were off the train, saying something about having to tell the designers that there was a "change of plans".

"What was that all about?" Kurt asked Schue worriedly.

The man shrugged, "I wish I knew."

Kurt and Rachel were then hurried off to be 'made over'. Kurt's ego was slightly flattered by the fact that there was very little they had to do to him, while Rachel had to be given a full body wax, hair cut, and manicure. There were three ditsy make-over specialists who fluttered around Kurt, trying to find something to do. He prided himself in keeping his body well maintained and his hair continuously perfect. Needless to say he was allowed to leave long before Rachel was. "Take him to Emma," one of the specialists, a skinny man with hair that stuck up like a tree growing from his head, waved Kurt in the direction of another room.

Emma, as it turned out, was his stylist. With bright red hair and large brown eyes, she was the one in charge of making his outfit for the Tribute's Parade, which would take place that evening.

"Oh, hello!" she said, "you must be Kurt." She shook his hand then promptly wiped her hands on a towel. She noticed his slight offence to this, "Oh, please don't take it personally." She then explained, "_Germs_."

"Right," Kurt said slowly. "So what am I wearing for the parade?" he asked eagerly.

Emma beamed, "Well I had something all planned out but your mentor came up with a wonderful idea."

Kurt now understood why Sue had mysteriously disappeared. "And what would that be?"

Emma showed him the new plans, "It's almost finished."

"A doll!" Kurt exclaimed. The outfit they had devised looked like a cross between a gigantic porcelain doll and how his mother used to describ the prince in the fairy tales she used to tell him. "Isn't the point of the Parade to show the sponsors that we might actually win, not that we'll break apart at any second?"

"You'll be different," Emma said, "and that can be more important than anything else. And as for Rachel…"

"She's so short she'll look like a doll come to life," Kurt muttered.

"I was going to say that my assistants and I can use make up to give her a complexion like yours, but alright. We're going to use a great amount of fabric, that's what your District makes, right? District Eight: Textiles?"

Kurt nodded.

As it turned out, his costume wasn't all that bad. It was made of light blue fabric, but so shiny it almost looked silver. Pointed pads adorned Kurt's shoulders and the top half of his costume turned into a cross between a skirt and the tail of a jacket. Tights covered his legs and sequined, high-heeled boots made him stand at almost six and a half feet. He had gloves on his hands, the fabric of which matched the rest of his costume. The look was completed by a powdered wig.

Although, he had to admit he was somewhat jealous of Rachel's costume; she looked awesome. She was wearing a black, with a white decoration that was shaped like a pointed, slightly warped hourglass. She had on glasses, which hid her eyes entirely from view although she assured him that she could see perfectly clearly. She had on long black gloves. On her feet were a pair of insanely high heels, which she was told were impossible to trip in (although she remained skeptical of this), so as to not look too small compared to Kurt.

All the tributes were in outfits befitting their District. The District One tributes were dressed as if they were going to a dance; Puck wearing a full tux, Sugar in a long ball gown.

The two siblings from District Three, Blaine and Chelsea, had miniscule light bulbs and gears covering them, their faces painted grey and black. District Three specialized in technology, and both tributes looked like robots.

Suddenly Kurt found himself being shoved to the ground. It was David Karofsky, dressed all in black, a fishing net strewn over his shoulders like a cape, as he was from the fishing District. He sneered at Kurt and muttered something rude before going over to his own chariot. Rachel helped Kurt up, "Are you okay? I'll go tell someone; that has to be against the rules."

"Don't," Kurt grumbled, dusting himself off. "I'm fine really, going and reporting them will just make me a target when we get in the arena."

"Are you two ready?" Sue barked, strolling over to them.

Kurt turned his head to one side, "Well, hello. Long time, no see."

"Quiet, Porcelain," she warned, "Or I might just have you shot out of a cannon for the parade like I had planned."

Kurt paled, more than normal that is, and kept his mouth shut.

He and Rachel got up onto their chariot. The white horses were so well trained that they did not move until a signal was given. Kurt was so nervous, shaking, he grabbed onto the side of the chariot to stop from falling off.

"Oh no you don't," Sue snapped, "figure out how to balance. You think this hard? Try being in an arena with twenty-three bitter enemies. That's hard. This is the _easy_ part Hummel!" Sue's shouting was drawing the attention from the other tributes and their mentors.

Kurt gulped, promptly standing up straight. Without much warning the parade began and the chariot lurched. Kurt swayed slightly and he and Rachel grabbed onto each other's arms to steady themselves. They let go but stood shoulder to shoulder, or shoulder to head as Rachel was much shorter than he.

All of a sudden they were surrounded by screaming, cheering crowds. Kurt blinked as spotlights all but blinded him. He started to wave at what he hoped were the Capitol's citizens, plastering a smile on his face. Rachel was having a much better time, grinning at a crowd like a professional. She had always wanted fame; Kurt wanted the same thing, but not like this. Not for being a tribute.

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><p>Kurt and Rachel were taken to the eighth floor of the Training Center after the parade. The huge skyscraper overlooked the entire city and the view was fantastic. The sky was so dark and so clear that Kurt could see all the stars in the sky easily.<p>

"You guys did great," Mr. Schue said cheerily.

"Thanks," Kurt said happily; he was still wearing his costume, although Rachel had changed out of hers. He was wondering how long he would get away with wearing it.

Rachel's eyes widened when she saw the table laden with food. It was a banquet; more than had even been on the train. "Are the other tributes joining us," she asked in awe.

Schue laughed, "Um… no. Try the steak, it's really good."

"Oh no," Rachel said, "I'm a vegan."

"Not any more princess," Sue had just entered their apartment, "if you want to survive the Games you'll have to hunt; rabbits, deer, fish. Whatever you can get."

"But killing animals is mur…" Rachel stopped what she had been about to say, sitting down at the table. "Never mind," she muttered.

Kurt sat down next to her, handing her a bread roll.

"Thanks," she whispered, taking a bite.

Sue sat down across from them, ignoring the food, "Have you two decided if you want to train together or not? And do you want to ally in the Games?"

Kurt looked to Rachel. She opened her mouth to say something, and then sighed "No… I mean… I'm sorry Kurt. I want to train with you, but I don't think I could ally with anyone. Knowing that only one of us could even possibly…" she trailed off.

Kurt nodded, although it hurt to admit, he couldn't stand being her ally either. It would be bad enough seeing her face in the sky, but if he were to actually witness her death; that would be horrible. He knew she felt the same. Only one of them could survive and both were entirely too aware of that painful fact. "I agree. But I do want to train together."

"Alright then," Sue leaned back in her chair, "tomorrow morning there is a group training session with the other tributes. Look out for what they are good at and what their weaknesses are. If you two have any hidden talents, keep 'em secret. You defiantly have kept them well hidden from me."

Kurt clears his throat, "Well, I… um…" he blushed, "I have one thing I can do, but I don't think it will be much help."

Sue looks vaguely interested, "Tell me."

"Well, I… just watch." Kurt picked up his knife and fork and started twirling them around his fingers like batons. Schue's eyes widened and he ducked under the table, with just enough curiosity to peek out at what the boy was doing. Rachel backed up, moving out of the way, but Sue stayed where she was sitting, watching passively. Kurt twirled the two utensils around his head, flipping them over and over. For the first time since being chosen, he smiled genuinely. Then with a flick of each wrist he sent the fork into the steak on Sue's plate and the knife into the table. He didn't mention that he had actually been aiming for the wall to his left.

Sue glanced down at the knife that was sticking into the table, then said "That is mahogany."


	3. Practice Makes Perfect

**A Dangerous Game**

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><p><strong>Chapter Three: Practice Makes Perfect <strong>

The next morning, Kurt and Rachel were awoken before the sun was even up to go to their group training session. Sue didn't exactly tell them what to concentrate on, although she had warned Kurt to stay away from the sai swords, as apparently those would be the weapons that would best fit his talents. It was still early to show their advantages: "Keep them guessing," she had said.

So while Rachel went to the fencing trainer, Kurt moved off to the survival training areas. The first one he came to was meant to show him which plants were safe to eat and which ones were poisonous. Kurt whizzed through this as he had often snuck into the fields surrounding his District to gather food. Although, there were only a few that he was not familiar with, so he just memorized the edible ones so as not to confuse himself.

The boy from District Three and his sister were at the next station. Kurt almost moved on, but something made him kneel next to them. Blaine looked up from helping his sister start a fire. Kurt's heart fluttered when Blaine's golden-brown eyes meet his. "Hi," he managed to squeak out, "I'm Kurt… you're Blaine, right?"

Chelsea looked at each of them, neither of which had taken their eyes off each other, smiling. "I'll go see if I'm any good at shooting a bow." She hurried away, casting glances over her shoulder at her distracted brother.

Blaine hummed an agreement, eyes still locked with Kurt's. "Blaine. Yeah, I'm Blaine," he gushed, "Nice to meet you, Kurt." They shook hands.

Kurt cleared his throat, forcing himself to look down at the matchsticks Blaine had been trying to start a fire with. "To simple for you?"

"What?"

"District Three invents new technologies for the Capitol, right?"

"Oh yeah," Blaine laughed, running a hand over his gelled hair. "Yeah, you right. I guess I'm bad at this."

"No," Kurt said a little too quickly, not comprehending how the perfect Blaine could be bad at anything. "You just don't have the knack of it yet. Let me show you." He took the match from Blaine's hand, shivering with pleasure when their skin touched. Within seconds a warm flame was flickering on the end of the match.

Blaine smiled, "Wow, thanks. I'm really hopeless. But I have to try to make sure Chelsea wins."

"I wish you both the best of luck," Kurt said, adding "May the odds be _ever_ in your favor" then instantly regretting it. Somehow it felt more ominous then comforting.


	4. The Blackbird of District Eight

**A Dangerous Game**

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><p><strong>Chapter Four: The Blackbird of District Eight<strong>

Kurt didn't see Blaine again until they were all called in for their presentation before the Gamemakers in order to earn their scores. Scores were vital, ranging from zero to twelve, because without a good score what sponsor would give you gifts? And gifts were life in the arena.

Kurt sat, waiting for his turn in front of the Gamemakers. He had to go before Rachel, so when his name was called, he turned and wished her luck.

"You too." she whispered. She had gotten quite talented at sword-fighting, so she would be showing that skill to the Gamemakers. Kurt was hoping that he would at least be good enough with his sai swords to not get the lowest score compared to the other tributes.

He got up, walking slowly into the large training area. The Gamemakers were sitting on a platform overlooking and judging his every movement. Sure enough there was a pair of sai swords on a rack waiting in the center of the floor for him. He picked them up, cringing at the racket of metal against metal doing so produced. He nearly dropped one of the swords, but managed to catch it. He smiled up at the Gamemakers, "I meant to do that."

That earned him a laugh, but he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. He started twirling the swords and as soon as enough momentum was built he sent them flying towards the pair of dummies a few yards away. To his surprise as much as the Gamemakers', each sword skewered the bull's-eye of each target.

Shocked, Kurt turned to the people on the platform and bowed. For good measure he did a quick back bend, kicking, as he did so, the third target. The Gamemakers applauded and Kurt fled before he could do something to ruin his good impression.  
>On his way back to elevator that would take his back to district Eight's apartment, he felt a hand grab his arm. He tensed, but relaxed as soon as he saw that it was Blaine. "Hey how did it go?" Blaine asked.<p>

Kurt grinned, "Good... I think. You?"

"I hope so." Blaine ran a hand over his gelled hair, "Um... Kurt I was wondering i-if you would ally with me and my sister." He looked at him with round gold eyes, ever hopeful.

Kurt wasn't sure what to say; he didn't want an ally as one of them would eventually be dead, but the idea of not spending as much time as possible with Blaine seemed insane. He nodded, wondering if he should be regretting this decision.

Blaine smiled, "Great. I'll see you later, okay?"

Kurt nodded again, his heart beating at twice its normal pace.

Later that night, Sue had Kurt and Rachel sit down in front of the viewing screen to see what their and their competition's scores were. All of the Careers got either tens or elevens, except for Sugar Motta, who surprisingly got only a six. Kurt was happy to see that his new ally got a nine, but little Chelsea got only a four. It didn't matter; he and Blaine could protect her.

Rach got an eight, but Kurt was absolutely shocked to find that he had managed to get a ten, the only non-career to do so. He sat there with his jaw dropped, vaguely aware that the others were congratulating him.

* * *

><p>"There has been a slight change," Mr. Schue came hurrying in while Kurt and Rachel were having breakfast the next day.<p>

"What's wrong?" Kurt asked around a mouthful of toast.

"Is there a change in the rules of the Game?" Rachel asked hopefully.

"Nothing like that," Schue said, "It's for your interview. The Gamemakers have decided to emphasize the personalities of the tributes this year."

"Why?" Kurt hissed, "To them we're just cattle going to the slaughter."

"Kurt, don't." Schue warned. "I want you both to think about what it is that others like least about you, but you have accepted."

"My nose," Rachel said without hesitation or thought. She tried to glare at it but ended up going cross-eyed. She blinked, "everyone says it's too long."

"Nose," Schue muttered, writing it down on a piece of paper. "And you Kurt?"

Kurt was silent for a moment. "I'm gay," he whispered. He didn't know how Schue would react.

Schue just nodded, "Likes boys," he wrote down. "Alright, I'll go tell Emma. By the way, she wants you downstairs in an hour."

* * *

><p>"No extravagant costumes?" Kurt asked, disappointed, looking down at the white shirt with the words 'LIKES BOYS' printed on it which he was supposed to wear for his interview with Caesar.<p>

"It _is_ a costume!" Emma said cheerfully.

"I was hoping for feathers, or gems like the tribute from One last year," Kurt admitted. "The shirt is nice too, though," he added, seeing the Emma was somewhat hurt that he didn't want to wear it.

"All the tributes are wearing these," she explained.

"And I'm looking forward to wearing it, I might even keep it," the last part was more of a question.

Emma nodded, "Sure if you'd like."

"It's just I was looking forward to the outlandish..."

Rachel emerged from the changing room, looking very much put out. "When I told him 'nose', I didn't expect to have to wear it across my chest." She crossed her arms, hiding the word from view. "Everyone is going to think I'm vain."

"You _are_ vain," Kurt said, smirking.

Rachel stuck her tongue out at him.

Schue poked his head in through the door. "They want you on the stage."

"Good luck!" Emma shouted after them as Schue led them away. The area under the stage was dark, but they could hear Caesar greeting the crowd.

Kurt gasped in surprise when he heard Sue's voice behind him, "Hello Porcelain."

"Hello yourself, where have you been?" Kurt snapped.

"That's good, keep that sarcasm up on the stage. The whole point of this year's theme is to be yourself, so that's exactly what you are going to do. Stupid theme in my opinion. Then again if I was in charge of the games, I would have the Gamemakers up there fighting for their lives. You're kids; you shouldn't have to do this."

Kurt turned around, amazed at this new side of Sue, "The Gamemakers wouldn't last a minute."

Sue laughed, something he had never heard her do before, although it was actually something that more resembled a bark. "They wouldn't."

"Can I ask you something?" Kurt asked hesitantly, as a stage hand buzzed around his head hooking up his microphone.

Sue gave a sharp nod of agreement.

"Did you volunteer?" He wasn't sure what answer he was expecting. She seemed to be the type to have volunteered, yet she had such a hateful view of the Games.

"I did."

"Oh…"

"My sister was chosen, and there was no way I was going to let her compete. So I volunteered. Didn't know that did you?"

Kurt shook his head.

"Get up on that stage, Hummel."

He obeyed, casting one last look over his shoulder as he hurried up the steps. The stage lights made it impossible to see the audience, but Kurt knew they were there as they were cheering loudly. He waved to them, smiling more easily than he had at the Parade.

"Hello Kurt," Caesar said, shaking his hand. "Have a seat."

Kurt greeted him, sitting in the large chair across from Caesar.

"Great shirt." Caesar told him. He then turned to the audience, "Best I've seen so far, wouldn't you say?" The audience agreed wholeheartedly, clapping and shouting their agreements. "Is there anyone special at home? Someone that shirt refers to?"

"Sadly no," Kurt said, then added "but there is someone" before he could stop himself.

"Someone… here? Well, who? We all want to know!"

"Bla…" Kurt thought of the boy from District Three and his heart literally skipped a beat. But Blaine had shown no interest in him, other than being allies that is, "He doesn't feel the same way, I'm sure."

"Poor luck." Caesar quickly changed the topic, "So Kurt, what do you like best about the Capitol?"

"Your fashions," Kurt exclaimed, gesturing to Caesar's hair which was dyed bright orange.

"All thanks to your District. Now Kurt, do you have any hidden talents?"

"You mean which weapons am I good with?"

Caesar shook his head, "No, no. _Talents_. Can you juggle? Dance?"

The question took Kurt aback for a moment. "I-I can sing."

"Let's hear it!"

Kurt raised an eyebrow, "Really?" Schue had told him that they were going to be emphasizing the tributes' personalities, but he hadn't expected this.

Caesar nodded.

Kurt got up slowly, nervously taking center stage.

"_Blackbird singing in the dead of night  
>Take these broken wings, and learn to fly.<br>All your life,  
>You were only waiting for this moment to arise.<em>

_Blackbird singing in the dead of night,  
>Take these sunken eyes, and learn to see.<br>All your life,  
>You were only waiting for this moment to be free."<em>

It was incredible for Kurt, singing not only for the audience but for everyone in every District watching in their homes or in the city squares. It was exhilarating knowing that all of Panem was listening. This was the fame he wanted, not to be a tribute, but to be known forever more for his voice.

"_Blackbird, fly.  
>Blackbird, fly<br>Into the light of the dark black night.  
>Blackbird, fly.<br>Blackbird, fly  
>Into the light of the dark black night."<em>

Everyone was cheering as he sang the last lines.

"_You were only waiting for this moment to arise  
>You were only waiting for this moment to arise<em>"

Kurt stood there for a few moments after the last notes rung out. He was overwhelmed as the crowd burst into applause. At some point after Kurt had taken a few bows, Caesar was next to him. Barely able to hear, Kurt managed to make out Caesar shouting "Let's hear it for Kurt Hummel! The Blackbird of District Eight!"

* * *

><p>"You were great!" Kurt spun around when he heard Blaine's voice. He was alone in his dressing room and wasn't exactly expecting company.<p>

"Thanks, you too," Kurt smiled, "the things you said about protecting your sister was heartbreaking, you'll get lots of sponsors. I'm just the 'Blackbird of District Eight'. Sort of silly really."

"I especially liked the shirt," Blaine looked down at his own, which read 'SHORT'.

"Why did you pick me to be your ally?" Kurt blurted out.

Blaine gently took his hand, leading him over to the couch. They sat down next to each other, Blaine's leg brushing up against Kurt's. Blaine took a deep breath, "Kurt, there is a moment when you say to yourself, 'Oh, there you are. I've been looking for you forever.' You're all I've been thinking about since that day in the training center… Watching you do blackbird…" his voice broke with emotion, "you moved me, Kurt. And allying would just be an excuse to spend more time with you." He then started to lean in, hesitatingly at first, and then more deliberately when he saw that Kurt was doing the same. Their lips touched. Kurt gasped into the kiss, cupping Blaine's cheek. Blaine deepened the kiss, one hand on Kurt's back. Eventually, they pull away.

Blaine smiled. "While we have some time alone, we should… we should practice."

"I thought we were." Kurt answered back, out of breath. Their second kiss was more passionate, it felt like a lifetime. If only it truly was.

"Meet me on the roof tonight," Blaine rested his forehead on Kurt's, his breath ghosting over Kurt's nose, their hands intertwined.


	5. Rooftop

**A Dangerous Game**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five: Rooftop<strong>

Kurt slowly opened the door to his room, glad to find it unlocked. He slipped out quietly, closing it gently behind so anyone passing by would think he was inside asleep. His socked feet padded on the ground, hardly making any noise, but sounding like thunder to Kurt. He crossed the room, casting one quick glance over his shoulder before leaving the apartment.

The hallway outside wasn't lit, but Kurt knew where he was going and made his way to the elevator. The doors slid open for him, emitting an electronic beep. Kurt shushed it, silly with excitement. He stepped inside, pressing the button for the roof. The elevator obeyed, speeding upwards. Kurt's heart was beating fast in his chest. His mind seemed bent on contradicting itself. One half was begging for him to turn back and not to get attached, the other was begging him to live while he could. He listened to the latter.

The elevator stopped, doors sweeping open with another cheerful ding.

Kurt gasped. Blaine had been busy. Somehow he had managed to get a pile of pillows and blankets up there. He had trimmed flowers off the potted plants and arranged them around the blankets.

"This is incredible!" Kurt smiled. He ran over to Blaine and threw his arms around his neck, placing a gentle kiss on his lips.

Blaine couldn't help but notice how Kurt's bright blue eyes shone in the moonlight. "I thought we could watch the stars."

Kurt laughed, "I have a better plan." They slowly knelt on the pile of pillows, holding each other tight.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Kurt awoke to Blaine's warm arms wrapped around him. He kept his eyes closed, sighing with pleasure. His body was bare, but the blankets kept him warm, along with the heat from Blaine's equally naked body.<p>

A bird was singing. Kurt sat up, eyes wide. "What was that?"

Blaine moaned at the loss of body heat. "It was just a bird, go back to sleep."

"The sun is rising," Kurt insisted, getting up and wrapping one of the blankets around himself, "we can't stay here."

Blaine sighed, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "No one will be looking for us yet, come lay back down."

Kurt shook his head. "We can't stay here," he repeated.

"But I don't want last night to end." Blaine said, pulling him back down. Kurt laughed joyfully as Blaine rolled on top of him.

They kissed, slowly and passionately. "Me neither," Kurt admitted.

Blaine sat up, leaning against the wall, Kurt resting against his chest, "We could run, go away together."

For a moment Kurt allowed himself to daydream about living his life with Blaine, free from the Capitol and from the restraints of District Eight. But that's what it was: just a dream. "We'd never get out of the Capitol."

"Then you go," Blaine insisted desperately, "there's more chance of just one of us escaping. Then I'll win and I'll find you."

"Or we could just stay here and barricade the door," Kurt said sarcastically. He sighed, nestling closer to Blaine's chest, "It won't work Blaine."

"But, I love you," Blaine whispered.

"I love you too," Kurt ran his fingers through Blaine's hair which was now freed from its gel.

"I can't... live without you."

"I know," Kurt sighed, "neither can I." His eyes glittered with tears, "I-I have to go." He got up, quickly dressing. At the elevator door he paused, looking back, "Please survive this, okay?"

"We'll be the last ones," Blaine insisted, "and we won't... We couldn't..."

"Of course not," Kurt leaned against the door frame, tears in his eyes.

"So they'll have to let us go," hope filled Blaine's voice.

Kurt didn't have the heart to tell him that if they weren't killed by the tributes then the Gamemakers would orchestrate their deaths, so he simply said "Good luck, Blaine." He turned to go, reaching for the level eight button.

"Kurt, wait!" Blaine scrambled to his feet grabbing Kurt's hand before he could push the button. "Promise me you'll live,"

"Only if you promise me the same," Kurt whispered.

They leaned in, kissing desperately. "I promise," both said.


	6. The Cornucopia

**A Dangerous Game**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six: The Cornucopia<strong>

"Where have you been?" Sue barked as soon as Kurt walked in. _Of course everyone is already awake!_ Kurt was glad he dressed on the roof.

Kurt paused for a moment trying to decide how much of a lie to tell. "I was on the roof," he said slowly, "looking at the stars one last time before having to worry about being hunted like an animal."

Mr. Schue took in Kurt's ruffled appearance knowingly, "Well you're back now. Good thing too. Go get ready, today's the big day."

He nodded. A horrible feeling clenched its cold hand around Kurt's heart; by the end of the day he would be in the arena fighting for his life.

* * *

><p>Kurt and Rachel were being escorted to the hovercraft that would be taking them to the arena. Halfway down the hallway, someone grabbed Kurt's arm. "Kurt," Blaine pulled him aside, "we need to talk."<p>

Sue eyed the two boys, "What's going…"

"It's alright, really!" Kurt said quickly, "Could you give us a minute?"

Glaring at them, Sue obliged and moved away.

Blaine took Kurt's hand gently, leading him out of sight behind the pillar. He kissed him then held him tight. "I need you to do something for me," he whispered in his ear.

"Anything," Kurt breathed.

Blaine moved back, his hands on Kurt shoulders, "When the Games begin I want you to get Chelsea out of there. As far away from the Cornucopia as possible. Understand?"

"And what about you?" Kurt said, "I thought that we…"

"I'll catch up I promise. We'll need supplies... weapons..."

"No, we'll go back for supplies later. Blaine, you are not being part of that bloodbath!"

"I'm sorry, Kurt. I'm so sorry. Please don't argue over this. You know we can't survive without..."

Kurt sighed, "I know that but…"

"Kurt…" Blaine warned.

"Just be careful," Kurt said throwing his arms around Blaine's neck.

"I will, I promise," Blaine held him as tight as he could, trying to memorize the sensation of having Kurt in his arms. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

><p>Caesar sat at his desk, waiting for the countdown to end and for the Game to begin. It sickened him, every year watching innocents die for no reason. All for sport and terror. Control and Fear.<p>

_Sickening. _

He tried to do all he could for them. He tried to make them appealing in the interviews. But no matter what he did only one would remain. He had no power to prevent that.

In a way he was more trapped then they were.

"Can't you feel the adrenaline folks?" He narrated, smiling charismatically into the camera. "Look at Sebastian Smythe from District Two, you can see the concentration in his face. He's planning out everything. He's going to be a hard one to beat, that one. But, there are some who might surprise you. Kurt Hummel from District Eight got a ten. He may not seem like much, but I've been told he's quite talented. And not just at singing!" Caesar paused to let his audience laugh.

Or cry.

* * *

><p>The countdown was almost over. Blaine looked over at Kurt, mouthing words of comfort. Tears were filling Kurt's eyes, which he frantically wiped away, knowing that there were cameras focused on him.<p>

In a strange way the countdown seemed to mimic the beating of Kurt's own heart. _Both are ending soon? Is that it? Is that the similarity? _Kurt thought bitterly. _Might it just be easier to jump? To be blown to smithereens and not have to deal with this? _He glanced at Blaine who locked eyes with him and mouthed three small words that meant everything to Kurt.

"I love you, too," Kurt whispered back.

Four.

Three.

Two.

The countdown ended and the Game began. Kurt was overwhelmed by the chaos surrounding him. Within seconds, Artie Abrams was dead, killed by the Careers.

"Kurt!" little Chelsea ran over to him, fear in her bright eyes.

Kurt hurried her towards the woods, running behind her to block her view of the bloodshed at the Cornucopia. "Keep going!" he shouted, helping her up when she tripped over a tree root. Now out of sight of the Cornucopia, they slowed. "Hide, quickly. I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" Chelsea exclaimed.

"I have to help Blaine! For goodness sakes, hide!" Kurt turned on his heels, running back toward the Cornucopia. He glanced over his shoulder, glad to see that the little girl had scrambled up a tree and was now out of sight.

Kurt nearly tripped over the girl from District Six, she was lying splayed out in the grass a knife wound in her back. Kurt regretted never learning her name.

Kurt stopped as he neared the Cornucopia, searching for Blaine in the confusion. There he was, a sword in hand, trying to fend off Sebastian and Harmony from District Two. Kurt ran to him, grabbing a pair of sai swords on his way; they were the only ones there; as if they just for him. Blaine was backed up against the wall of the Cornucopia. There was a deep cut on his cheek. Kurt knew that if he was to join the fight; in retreat, he and Blaine would only lead the two Careers to where Chelsea was hiding. There was a pile of supplies nearby. Kurt grabbed a backpack, slinging it over his shoulder. A quick shove sent the supplies toppling down on the two Careers.

"What are you doing here?" Blaine carefully made his way through the mess, ignoring the protests from the two Careers, who were frantically trying to free themselves.

Kurt rolled his eyes, "Run now, talk later!" He grabbed Blaine's free hand, leading him out of the Cornucopia and back towards the woods. Kurt led him back through the trees, to where he had left Chelsea.

Seeing them, she climbed back down from her hiding place, throwing her arms around her brother. "I was so worried!"

"We need to get moving while the Careers are still distracted," Kurt said, adjusting the straps of the backpack he had managed to grab so that is sat more comfortably. The sai swords he tucked inside his belt where he could access them easily.

Blaine nodded, "You're right." He eyed the backpack, "Kurt, thanks for coming back for me. I was rather useless."

"Well, at least you managed to get a sword."

"You got two."

They continued on with this sort of conversation, trying to distract themselves as they hiked through the trees. About twenty minutes later they heard the six cannon shots, the bloodbath was over and eighteen tributes remained, including themselves. Knowing the careers would soon be on their heels, probably angered by having an avalanche of supplies dumped on them, they increased their pace, falling into a nervous silence.

* * *

><p><strong>So... <strong>

**Like it? **

**Hate it? **

**Want to throw it in an arena to have it fight to the death? **

**Let me know in a review.**

* * *

><p><strong>SPOILER ALERT FOR APRIL 24th's GLEE EPISODE<br>**

* * *

><p><strong>So... I watched Glee (the episode Dance with Somebody) tonight. I cried and threw things across the room. We finally get a Klaine storyline and they have a huge argument? WTF! This is why RIB are evil. And what was that um... nutella about them scheduling make-out sessions? Hell to the NO (to quote Mercedes)! In my mind Klaine have heated make-out sessions whenever and wherever they can. <strong>

**I was crying throughout most of the episode.**

**Can we put Sebastian and Chandler in a closed arena and have them fight to the death? Except neither one survives. Can this happen? Please!  
><strong>

**I'm so glad Klaine is still together.**

**At least they have now dealt with Blaine's obvious feeling of abandonment and have discussed what they are going to do next year (although knowing Glee none of this will happen). They have to stay together forever. Klaine Forever! That's where that came from, right? OMG!  
><strong>

**Sorry for the rant...  
><strong>


	7. The Sun In The Sky

**A Dangerous Game**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seven: The Sun In The Sky<strong>

By mid-afternoon, the three were simply too exhausted to continue. With the comfort of knowing that there was probably a reasonable amount of distance between them and the other tributes, they stopped on top of a hillside. From this vantage point they could see all around them, but could not be seen themselves due to the thick tree coverage.

Blaine collapsed on the ground next to his sister. "What do you have in that backpack?" he asked Kurt.

Kurt sat down on the grass, glad to be off his feet. He set his swords on the ground, swinging the backpack onto his lap. "Let me see. A water bottle…" he lifted it to his lips, then shook it, a very annoyed look on his face, "it's empty."

Blaine groaned. "That's useful."

"A pocket knife, a blanket… I'm not sure what this is but it stinks," he flipped over the packet, looking at the label, "ah jerky, alright. Dried fruit and matches."

"Something at least," Blaine said, twisting the grass around his fingers.

Chelsea had her back to a tree, her chin resting on her knees, "I'm thirsty."

"I know," Blaine said gently, "We'll find water, I promise." The sun was high in the sky, and despite being in the shade of trees, it was unnaturally warm. Kurt looked especially effected, sweat thickly covering his pale skin. He had his head resting between his knees and looked somewhat nauseous. "You okay?" Blaine looked at him worriedly.

Kurt gave him a small smile, "It's just really warm, I'm not used to it. It's never warm in District Eight." He sighed, "We should get moving again." He got up reluctantly, and as Blaine noticed, unsteadily.

"You're sure you're going to be okay?"

"I'm fine, Blaine!" Kurt snapped, instantly regretting it. "I'm sorry," he said, taking Blaine's hand and squeezing it gently, "I'm just tired... and stressed."

Heat seemed to radiate up from the ground, and the longer they walked the more it became obvious that Kurt was not as well as he claimed. He was trailing along behind the others, and eventually, Blaine and Chelsea had to slow to his pace. "Blaine, I feel dizzy," it was barely more than a whisper, Kurt's voice dry.

Blaine stopped, by his side in an instant. He placed a hand on Kurt's forehead; it hot and his skin was slick with sweat. Kurt grabbed onto Blaine's arm using it to steady himself. "Sit down for a while," Blaine said, easing Kurt onto the ground. Kurt nodded, instantly regretting it as it made the pounding in his head slightly more noticeable. "We can't stay here for long, but you can rest for a while, alright?"

Kurt made a quiet sound of agreement in the back of his throat.

After about ten minutes, Blaine was becoming increasingly uneasy. He was convinced that every little sound was a tribute about to attack them. "We have to keep moving," he got up, trying to pull Kurt to his feet.

"I can't, I don't want to move." Kurt whined.

"No, come on." Kurt groaned as Blaine helped him to his feet. Kurt leaned on Blaine, his arm around his shoulders. By the time the sun was setting, lighting the sky a colorful array of red and yellow, Blaine was practically carrying him. The effort of supporting Kurt along with carrying the weight of the backpack, combined with the heat and lack of water, was starting to get to Blaine. Chelsea seemed to be fairing best, although repeatedly complaining about being thirsty.

They were following a path alongside a mountain, when Kurt tripped, slipping from Blaine's arms. "I can't go any further," he said weakly.

"Alright," Blaine said, kneeling next to him and rubbing his back lovingly, "I think I saw a cave a while back, do you think you could make it there?"

"I think so…" Kurt murmured, grabbing onto Blaine shirt to pull himself to his feet. Every movement he made left his muscles feeling like he had just run a marathon. The cave Blaine had noticed was about a ten minute walk back. The three stumbled inside, refreshed by the cool shade. The little light that remained in the sky was enough to see that the cave was about ten feet deep, and thankfully not the lair of any unsavory creatures.

Kurt sighed as he laid back on the cold stone. Blaine would have snuggled in next to him, but knowing that the last thing Kurt needed was extra body heat, he settled for lying about a foot away. He rested his hand on Kurt's chest, comforted by the feel of Kurt's heart beating.

Chelsea claimed the backpack, using it as a pillow and spreading the blanket on the floor. She curled up on the blanket like a cat, falling asleep almost instantly.

Blaine stayed awake long enough to see the faces of the fallen tributes be projected into the sky, both out of respect and to know who remained. After Panem's anthem, the faces were shown in order of their Districts. The first to be shown was Sugar Motta from District One. Then Jacob from Five. The next face was the young girl from District Six.

"What's her name?" Kurt whispered. Blaine looked over at him, having thought that he was fast asleep.

"Sunshine, I think," Blaine said. He brushed Kurt's hair off his forehead, "You should be sleeping."

"I will." Kurt assured him, "Lay with me?"

"It will be too warm."

"Please?"

Needing no more encouragement, Blaine moved over. Kurt rested his head on Blaine's chest, sighing.

Sunshine's face vanished and was replaced by Matt Rutherford's, then Rory and Artie. The Capitol's crest hung in the sky for a moment, accompanied by insultingly cheerful notes, and then vanished, sending the night into darkness.

Kurt smiled, "Rachel's okay. She made it through the bloodbath."

"We could have allied with her," Blaine yawned.

Kurt paused for a moment, "We agreed not to, we didn't want to see each other's deaths."

Blaine was silent for a few minutes, "I see."

"You're different," Kurt explained, looking up at Blaine, "I couldn't imagine not spending every moment I can with you."

Blaine smiled, kissing Kurt gently. "I love you."

"I love you, too."


	8. Red Snow

**A Dangerous Game**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eight: Red Snow<strong>

The next morning Kurt awoke to find that he had been covered with the blanket. His throat was so dry it felt raw. Thankfully, he didn't feel as hot or dizzy as he had the day before; in fact, even with the blanket covering him, it was frigidly cold.

He groaned, feeling stiff from sleeping on the ground. "Blaine?" He croaked. Kurt blinked his eyes open, looking around the cave for his lover. Blaine was nowhere to be seen but his sister was in the corner fast asleep.

"'Morning," Blaine entered the cave, smiling when he saw Kurt was awake. He knelt next to Kurt, helping Kurt sit up and lean against the cave wall. "Drink this."

"You found water!"

Blaine chuckled, "Water sort of found us."

"I don't understand," Kurt said.

"You will, I'll show you. Drink first," Blaine held the bottle to Kurt's lips.

Kurt took a sip. He coughed; the water feeling like it was freezing his stomach. "I can't. Let me go back to sleep."

"No, no, small sips, you can do it." Blaine put his hand behind Kurt's head, putting the bottle to Kurt's lips, dripping the water down Kurt's throat.

Although it made him feel slightly nauseous, the water soothed Kurt's parched throat. After a few minutes, Kurt stopped, unable to drink anymore. "Where did you get the water?"

"Here, I'll show you," Blaine carefully helped Kurt to his feet and guided him to the mouth of the cave. Kurt gasped: it was snowing. Snow was drifting down from the sky, covering the ground in a thick blanket.

"It's beautiful," Kurt whispered in awe. He had seen snow before, of course, but usually it was turned grey by the smog that covered District Eight. He and Blaine sat down to watch the falling snow, allowing the false peace to comfort them temporarily. Kurt gently kissed Blaine's soft lips, then rested his head on Blaine's lap.

Chelsea came stumbling sleepily over, "Good morning," she said sitting across from them. She smirked, "So that's why you wanted Kurt to be our ally." Blaine glared at her and grabbed a handful of snow. Chelsea squealed when it hit her. "Oh you did not just do that!"

Before Blaine knew what was happening a snowball hit him in the face.

Flakes of snow were scattered onto Kurt's neck and he gasped in surprise, sitting up. "What the…?" He had been close to falling asleep.

He wiped the cold, melting snow off the back of his neck, rolling his eyes at the two siblings, who were now in a full-fledged snowball fight.

Someone, Kurt wasn't sure who but suspected Blaine, sent a snowball his way. _That's it! _Kurt joined the game. For a moment, he wondered how much Caesar was showing of their merriment. Was he congratulating them on making the best of their situation or were the Gamemakers pressuring him to cut this out of the broadcast?

With snow flying in every direction providing quite a distraction, it was pure chance that Kurt noticed the voices nearing their camp. "Oh my god," he shoved Blaine and Chelsea back toward the back of the cave.

"What is it?" Blaine whispered, "What's wro…"

"Quiet," Kurt hissed, a finger at his lips.

They sat there listening as the voices drew nearer. After a few tense moments, what they were saying could be understood.

"If you have a problem with the way I'm leading this group," Sebastian's voice was heard, "then get lost. I'll give you a five minute head start. Just don't expect me to make your death pleasant when I find you."

"Who," this was Puck, "put _you_ in charge? Have we found a single tribute yet? No. If Puckzilla was in charge we would be the only ones left by now."

"Will you boys shut up!" Harmony snapped. The footsteps stopped, so close to the edge of their cave that it made Kurt hold his breath. His sai swords were sitting a few feet away, but he dared not reach for them for the fear of creating a sound that the Careers would hear. "I have a way to solve this." There was then the unmistakable sound of a bow and arrow being fired. And then a body falling to the ground.

"What the hell was that?" Sebastian shouted at the girl. Puck's cannon fired. "We needed him."

"Oh please, he was useless! All he was doing was _complaining_ and eating our food and I was tired of keeping him in check."

Sebastian chuckled darkly, "Well guess what princess? Your only purpose was keeping him in line, so now you're obsolete. Oh well…" Harmony's scream was accompanied by the squelch of a sword being withdrawn out of a body, then, a second later, her cannon shot. Sebastian's footsteps faded into the distance, his cold laugh echoing.

Chelsea was shaking, her face buried into her brother's chest. Kurt had gone so pale that his skin could have lightened milk.

"We need to get out of here, if Sebastian doesn't see the ships come to take the… the bodies, then he might get suspicious." The ships would not arrive until all tributes, whether they had performed the kill or not, were out of the vicinity.

Kurt grabbed the backpack, making sure the water bottle was in it. His sai swords went back in his belt.

"I can take that for you if you want," Blaine offered.

Kurt shook his head, securing the backpack onto his shoulders. He gave Blaine a small smile, "I'll be fine. You carried it all of yesterday and me too for most of the evening. Just keep your sword ready in case Sebastian comes back."

Blaine nodded.

Sebastian had stripped the bodies of whatever supplies they might have once had. Blaine searched through their pockets for anything he might have forgotten, while Kurt kept Chelsea distracted.

Blaine held up a knife that Sebastian must have overlooked, or maybe the Career already had his own. Either way, he had left the fine blade on Harmony, perhaps wishing it to be taken away when her body was lifted out. The knife was silver with a slender curved blade. It glistened in the early sunlight and looked like it hadn't been used yet. Blaine retrieved it's case and slipped both into his pocket. "Come on, let's get out of here." He said, with one final look at the two dead tributes.

As soon as they had moved far enough away, the ships came and took the bodies, leaving only patches of red that stuck out harshly from the white. Now that they were trudging through the snow, rather than playing in it, it seemed much more unpleasant.

"Kurt," Blaine broke the silence that had hung over them for the last hour after leaving their cave, "have you ever killed anyone?"

"What?" Kurt frowned, taken aback by the question and the fact that Blaine felt the need to ask it. "No, or course not."

"Not even an animal?"

"Um… a fly... does that count?"

"No, that doesn't count." Blaine hurried his steps to stand in front of Kurt, putting his hands on his shoulders. There was desperation in his eyes, "Kurt, promise me something."

Kurt nodded, "Anything."

"Never kill." Blaine couldn't get out of his head the sound of Sebastian's laugh after he had killed his fellow Careers. "Promise me that? I never want you to become like Sebastian."

"I could never be like him, you know that." He paused, trying to figure out exactly how to phrase he planned to say next. "Blaine," he said slowly, "You've never…?"

"Only animals, I promise. I couldn't have survived in District Three if I hadn't; nothing grows there. Kurt, promise me you won't. No matter what. I don't want you to have blood on your hands."

"I promise."


	9. Arrowhead

**A Dangerous Game**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nine: Arrowhead<strong>

They dared not return to their cave, despite the fact that it was becoming frightfully cold. Chelsea had the blanket wrapped around her shoulders, but was still shivering.

Without the added heat of the blanket, Kurt and Blaine were even colder that she was. They had their arms around each other, but shared body heat did nothing for them when there wasn't much body heat to share.

"W-we should stop," Kurt's teeth were chattering, "build a f-fire."

Blaine shook his head, "They'll see the smoke." His stomach rumbled, reminding him that he had not eaten since before the Games had begun. Kurt and Chelsea had already snacked on some of the jerky, which Kurt had declared to be "absolutely disgusting" but eaten nonetheless.

"You should eat something," Kurt said quietly.

"I'll be fine."

Kurt dug the remaining jerky out of his backpack, "Take it."

"I'm not hungry," Blaine said, traipsing on.

"Blaine…" Kurt said forcibly, "I can hear that you are hungry. We'll find more food later, but if you faint from lack of food you won't be much help to Chelsea and me, will you?"

"Fine," Blaine snatched the packet of jerky.

They continued walking for about two hours, the snow falling heavily. Although it was already freezing, Kurt feared how they would survive the night in this weather. Kurt's jacket was thick, but he was still shivering and he knew that they would need to find a warm shelter to avoid frostbite. The snow started to thicken, making it hard to even see where they were going. That's when the first arrow whizzed by Blaine's ear. He gasped, his heart beating fast after the close call. "Run!" he grabbed Kurt's hand, dragging him away from the attackers. He knew Chelsea was somewhere up ahead, but she had disappeared into the blizzard. Another arrow shot by his ear, embedding itself in a nearby tree.

Kurt tripped, bringing Blaine down next to him. Blaine scrambled to his feet, trying to help Kurt to his feet. Kurt grimaced, feeling faint as his ankle sent unimaginable pain up and down his leg at the slightest touch to the ground. It continued throbbing as he tentatively lifted it up again. "I can't, I can't… leave me here. I'll catch up," he said after unsuccessfully trying to take a few steps with Blaine's assistance.

"I'm not leaving you here, come on. We need to find Chels," Blaine put his arm around him, trying to help him retreat from their hunters, who were quickly approaching.

"Blaine," Kurt gasped, "my ankle really hurts. Just go."

Blaine shook his head, "I'm not leaving you." He half-carried half-lead Kurt behind the tree. Thankfully it had large roots which could hide the two from view. He set Kurt gently on the ground and stifled a gasp; Kurt's injury was not a mere sprain, there was a deep cut across his ankle. The arrow which hit him must have been covered in blood, red against white an obvious sight to the hunters, but Blaine dared not retrieve it.

Kurt whimpered as another shot of pain went up his leg. He had been injured before in the factories several times. A cut like this shouldn't have been causing him as much pain as it did; something was very wrong. Blaine shushed him, gently placing a kiss on his forehead.

A tribute ran by, but Blaine couldn't make out who it was as their face was obscured by the falling snow.

"Is he the only one?" Kurt whispered, just loud enough to be heard over the wind, which was starting to blow more intensely now.

"I don't know, quiet so they don't hear."

They sat in silence for several minutes, huddled in each other's arms for heat and comfort, until they were sure that the coast was clear. The wind was picking up, whistling by their tree, which thankfully sheltered them from the most of it. The snow had stopped and on the ground it seemed to be vanishing. Simply dissolving into the ground; not even leaving a puddle.

"We need to find Chelsea," Blaine said, helping Kurt up and almost completely supporting him. The ground was now entirely clear of snow and visibility had cleared up despite the leaves blowing in the wind.

They almost walked right past Chelsea, as she was lying in a ditch, almost completely hidden from sight. "Blaine?" her voice was weak and quiet.

Blaine hurriedly set Kurt on the ground, and slipped down into the ditch to his sister. There was an arrow embedded in her rib cage and every breath she took was shaky. "I'm so sorry," Blaine whispered, cradling her head. "I promised I would protect you," tears ran down his face.

"This… this isn't your fault," Chelsea managed to say. She coughed blood, moaning. She lay in his arms until her cannon shot rang out.

Blaine brushed the hair away from her face, "I'm so sorry," he whispered. Her eyes were still open so he gently closed them, holding her in his arms.

Kurt slid down the slope to them, grimacing as his injured ankle hit the ground. "Blaine, we can't stay here." He tried to pry the girl's body out of Blaine's hands. "There was nothing you could have done."

Blaine looked up at his, tears clouding his vision. "I promised…" Kurt kneeled next to him, taking Blaine in his arms. Blaine's tears dampened his shirt.

Gently the two laid the girl's body out flat, removing the arrow from her chest.

"Blaine," Kurt said gently, "we have to go now." He tried to pull him away, limping on his injured ankle.

"No, no!" Blaine exclaimed, trying to cling onto his sister's body. "No! I can't leave her."

Kurt swung him around, his hands on his shoulders. Kurt softened his grip on Blaine's shoulders and sunk down to his knees so they were face to face. Kurt gently took Blaine's cheek in his hand, "We can't stay here. I'm sorry, Blaine. We can't."

Blaine blinked, looking down at his sister's body for a few more moments before solemnly nodding and getting to his feet.

As soon as they had gotten far enough away the ship came and took her away.


	10. Burnt

**A Dangerous Game**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Ten: Burnt<strong>

Blaine refused to watch the tributes that were projected into the sky that night, not able to bear the guilt of his sister's death. Puck and Harmony were the first to appear and Chelsea was last, hanging in the sky for a few moments before her face disappeared from the world forever more. Kurt felt a pang of sorrow; he had only known the girl for a short time, but she had been his friend.

Kurt and Blaine had found a small wooden cave formed by a tangle of roots. It wasn't much shelter from the whipping wind, and they had lost the blanket, but it hid them from sight. Blaine was huddled in the corner, his back to Kurt as there wasn't much room. Kurt knew that he was crying because every so often he would sniff and there would be a slight ruffling in the leaves as he moved his hand to wipe his eyes. He couldn't imagine what Blaine was going through. He had lost his mother, but at the time he was so young that he hadn't truly understood death; he hadn't understood that she was permanently gone until several years later.

He tried to snuggle closer to Blaine, wanting nothing more than for him to stop crying. Blaine startled at his touch, turning over to face him. Silently he buried his face into Kurt's jacket, Kurt's arms tight around him.

* * *

><p>The first thing Kurt realized when he woke up was that Blaine was no longer in his arms. He sat up, blinking sleep out of his eyes. "Blaine?" he called as loudly as he dared, looking around, "where are you?"<p>

"Hey!" Kurt jumped, sighing in relief when he saw Blaine poking his head into their hiding place. "I'm glad you're awake. How's your ankle? I realized that we didn't treat your cut last night."

"It hurts," Kurt admitted, glaring at his ankle. "Are _you_ okay?"

"I'm managing," Blaine said quietly. He sat by Kurt's feet, taking his ankle into his lap. He held up a small silver canister which was attached to a slightly torn parachute; a gift. "This came last night." Blaine twisted off the lid, dabbing some of the cream onto Kurt wound. Kurt hissed, but the pain was soon relieved by the medicine.

Kurt sniffed, "What's that smell?"

"I was going to let it cool but…" he went outside, returning with a lump of meat on a stick. He proudly handed it to Kurt.

Kurt wrinkled his nose, "What was that?" the meat was so burnt it was unrecognizable.

Blaine looked down at his prize, "A rabbit. I caught it."

"It looks delicious," Kurt lied, tearing off what could only have been one of the creature's legs. It tasted horrible, yet still managed to be better than the jerky they had been surviving on. After they finished eating, Blaine stashed the remains of the rabbit in the jerky wrapper. Kurt nibbled on a piece of sweet dried fruit, the packet of which they hadn't touched up until now, to get the taste of burnt bunny out of his mouth. Kurt took a sip of water, handing the bottle to Blaine for him to finish off. They would need to find more water soon.

"Your ankle looks better now," Blaine said, looking at the wound, which thanks to the cream was now starting to scab.

Kurt studied Blaine's face; there were tear streaks on his cheeks, fresh ones layered on the dried ones from the night before. "I'm sorry about your sister," Kurt whispered.

Blaine was silent for a few moments, "I promised my parents, I would help her get back home. She is… was their little baby." He sighed, "And they already have a perfect son, Cooper," he said bitterly.

It dawned on Kurt that Blaine's parents had never expected, nor wanted their _son _to be the one to return. He took Blaine's hand, squeezing it gently. "You had nothing to do with her death. That snow was so thick… I couldn't see a thing, could you? It could have been any of us."

"It was almost you."

Kurt rolled his eyes, "It was just my ankle. Come on we should get moving."

* * *

><p>By the height of the sun in the sky, Kurt could see that he had majorly overslept. No harm was done by that, however, and the day had been peaceful without a single glimpse of another tribute. The wind had gentled and the day had become deceitfully calm. Kurt kept up a cheerful chatter in an attempt to distract Blaine, although he was quite sure that Blaine was not paying much attention.<p>

"So then Rachel and I were…"

"Quiet, Kurt!"

Kurt glared at him, "I know it's a boring story, but you could have let me finish…"

Blaine held a finger to his lips, "Listen."

In the distance there was a faint crackling that at first sounded like bare feet on gravel, then, within a few minutes turned to the unmistakable sound of a wild fire. Kurt turned around, his eyes wide, "Where's that coming from?" The sound seemed to be echoing from all around them.

Blaine looked to the skies. Birds were flying overhead, in a panic as opposed to in formation. Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand dragging him in the direction the birds were flying. They ran through the forest, branches scratching by their faces and arms.

Glancing over his shoulder, Kurt could see the flames gaining on them. The roaring inferno was engulfing everything in its path, giving them nowhere to go but forward. The heat began as a tickle then started to become so tortuously uncomfortable, feeling as if it was trying to cook them alive, which of course was its purpose.

A cannon shot went off. Quietly Kurt thanked the birds; without their warning that cannon could have been his or Blaine's. The trees gave way to rocks and then sand; a grand lake was strewn out in front of them. Kurt and Blaine plunged into the cold water, grateful for the release from the heat. A wall of fire surrounded them, consuming the trees. Kurt and Blaine treaded water, keeping hold of each others hands. Although it weighed him down, Kurt managed to keep hold of the backpack. He still had his sais, but Blaine had dropped his sword when they were running and it was doubtful they would find it again.

Both were exhausted from running through the woods, and even more so from the effort of staying afloat. Kurt felt the strain in his legs; he clung onto Blaine to stop from sinking into the depths.

"Are you okay?" Blaine gently brushed Kurt's wet bangs off his forehead.

"Tired," Kurt admitted.

The fire was starting to pass them, leaving the charred remains of what only yesterday was under snow. Could this only be the third day in the arena? Fourth perhaps. So much had happened it all seemed to merge together.

They swam slowly back to the shore, collapsing onto the sand. Kurt panted, his limbs exhausted from treading water for so long. He rolled onto his back, enjoying the heat emanating from the ground. "Do you just want to stay here tonight?" he asked, turning his head to Blaine.

Blaine was stretched out on the sand, "We could. All the other tributes are probably far enough away by now." He leaned over, lazily placing a kiss on Kurt's lips.

Kurt ran his hands through Blaine's hair, which was now officially freed of whatever gel it had retained over the last few days. He deepened the kiss, Blaine eagerly granting him access to his mouth and tongue.

Neither had the energy to go any further, however, so they settled for lying in each others arms.

As the night took over, the face of the tribute who assumably was the one whom had died in the fire was projected in the sky. It was Tina from District Seven.

"How many are left?" Kurt whispered.

"Besides us…" Blaine thought for a moment, "Both tributes from District Four, Ten, and Eleven. That little girl from Five, what's her name?"

"Becky. And Rachel is still out there somewhere."

"So that leaves," Blaine was keeping count on his fingers, "Mike Chang, Quinn Fabray, of course Sebastian and… who am I missing?"

"Mercedes Jones," Kurt supplied.

"Fourteen, including us." The Games had only just begun.


	11. Alliance

**A Dangerous Game**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eleven: Alliance<strong>

"Hey, lover boys! Get up!" she nudged Kurt with her foot.

Another voice, this one more airy, chastised her, "That's not very polite, Santana."

Kurt rolled over, swatting at the object poking him in the ribs. He sat up, blinking, "What the… who are you?" He reached over to wake Blaine.

"Calm down we're not going to hurt you," this was the first girl. Kurt recognized her as one of the District Four Careers. She had a sharp knife in her belt. He eyed it cautiously, unsure if she was planning to use it on them.

It took him a few seconds to recognize the second girl. It didn't matter, because she extended a hand, happily introducing herself, "Hi, I'm Brittany."

Blaine squinted in the sunlight. "Good morning," he mumbled, "why did you wake us up?"

Santana snorted, "Well," she said slowly, "unless you want to be caught by that guy from Two and…"

"Sebastian?" Kurt jumped to his feet, grabbing his sais and the backpack.

"Yeah, that's it!" Brittany said cheerfully, "We've been trying to remember his name. San thought it was Sebastard."

Santana rolled her eyes. "No, that was a…" she laughed, "You know what Britt, never mind." She took Brittany's hand, then winced, and Kurt noticed a burn on her arm.

"Here," he dug around in the backpack and tossed her the gift from the day before. "This might help."

She caught it easily with her uninjured hand and starred at it suspiciously for a moment, "Thanks. Look do you guys want to team up for a while?" She then quickly added, "Not that we need your help."

Kurt looked over to Blaine. "Alright," Blaine shrugged.

"We should get moving," Kurt slung the backpack over his shoulders. Santana nodded, dabbing some of the cream onto a cut on Brittany's forehead and then onto her own burn. They headed back towards the tree line, where the fire hadn't touched. Blaine and Brittany were up ahead, finding a path through the brush. Kurt looked over to Santana, "Why did you warn us? You could have just left us there to be caught by Sebastian. For that matter, why didn't you ally with the other Careers?"

Santana was silent for a few moments, "They wouldn't let Britt ally with them. So she and I, we left. Went off by ourselves. As for why I warned you. Well you got a ten, although," she looked him up and down, "I'm not sure how _you_ got a score like that. Your little boyfriend didn't do too bad either." She sighed, snapping a branch out of her way, "I have to protect Britt. This isn't something she can handle. I mean, she sort of lives in her own world. And that special place where she lives, yeah it's beautiful, but someone's gotta help her through this. I'd never just leave her. But I can't protect her alone. I have to hunt, and I can't just leave her behind when I do. I sort of have to trust you, 'cause you understand, right? You wouldn't leave Blaine any more than I would leave her. That's why I wanted to team up, help each other through this."

"Sounds good." He offered her a hand to shake, which she ignored.

"If either of you do anythin' to hurt her, I will end you. Got it?" She glared at him until he nodded, then turned away, picking her way through tree roots.

"Got it." He held a large branch out of her way, then followed her past it. "Do you know of anyone who is using a bow and arrow?"

She scoffed, "Oh you ran into her?"

"Yeah, she killed Blaine's sister, who is she?"

"I don't know, but she almost got me and Britt. That girl was a sharp shooter. Wouldn't want to run into her again. Maybe she was that girl who died in the fire? Hopefully at least…"

"Tina? Really? She seemed nice."

Santana starred at him, "Doesn't everyone? I mean not me, I'm a bitch. But that's the point of the Games isn't it? So the Capitol can watch us kill each other. Make nice kids become murders…" She scoffed, "They're probably blocking out our conversation right now."

"Probably," Kurt put his hands in his pockets. "I promised Blaine I wouldn't kill. He said he didn't want me to become a murder."

"Good luck with that. At some point you're going to have to… If you make it to the last two, you either kill or you die."

"Unless Blaine and I are the last ones."

"Pray that doesn't happen. I would never want Britt and me to be the finalists. She has to win this, she has to."

"You've already accepted it, haven't you?"

Santana frowned, "Accepted what?"

"Dying... here in the arena that is..."

Santana didn't answer. She pushed passed him, catching up with Brittany, who smiled and took her hand.

* * *

><p>When night started to fall, they found a valley, a small river trickling through it. They had built a fire, small enough not to give off to much smoke but warm enough to defend them from the encroaching cold.<p>

Brittany and Santana were fast asleep, curled up together by the fire. Kurt was sitting on the ground, leaning back against Blaine, who was sitting behind him.

Blaine put his arms around Kurt, kissing his neck. "You okay?" he whispered in his ear.

"I'm fine," Kurt glanced back at him, "really."

"No you're not."

Kurt looked back to his lover. "I'm scared Blaine."

"I'm here," Blaine breath felt warm against Kurt's ear and neck, "you don't have to be afraid if I'm here."

"I love you."

Blaine smiled, placing a kiss on Kurt's slender neck, "I love you too. Get some sleep, alright. I'll keep watch."

"Okay," Kurt mumbled, cuddling into Blaine's arms, mourning the loss of their blanket. He closed his eyes. After a few minutes Kurt whispered, "Blaine?"

"I thought you were asleep."

"Blaine, I wanted to tell you. That night on the roof. It was incredible. It meant everything to me. I never thought anyone would love me until I met you."

Blaine cleared his throat, "That was your first time?"

"Yeah."

"It… um… it was mine, too."

"I'm glad it was with you. I'm glad I got to experience that… with you… before…"

Blaine interrupted him. "We're going to survive this," he insisted, holding Kurt tight to his chest.

Kurt wanted to believe him.


	12. Promises

**A Dangerous Game**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twelve: Promises<strong>

"Well, look what we have here! Four tributes for the price of one!"

_Are the other tributes going to let me have a decent night's sleep anytime soon?_ Kurt thought. This was becoming all too familiar. Tentatively, he opened his eyes. Sebastian was standing over him, a cruel grin on his face. Kurt reached for his sai swords only to find them missing.

"Looking for these?" Sebastian had his sais, and threw them into the brush. He had a sword, dried blood caking its surface, pressed against Kurt's chest, effectively pinning him to the ground. Blaine was lying next to him but was staying perfectly still, knowing that any movement on his part would mean Kurt's death. He glanced over at Kurt, mouthing words of comfort. Sebastian glanced over his shoulder, "Karofsky take care of those girls, would you?" he said lazily. "Then we can have our fun with these two."

The other career nodded, but looked distinctly uncomfortable about Sebastian's plans. He too had a sword, and had the girls cornered against the valley's wall. Santana was standing protectively in front of Brittany.

"Karofsky! What are you freakin' waiting for?" Sebastian growled, "Oh for goodness sakes. Keep an eye on these two, I'll take care of them." He crossed over to Santana and Brittany, keeping his sword and a throwing knife aimed at the two on the ground. Karofsky moved to guard Kurt and Blaine. Santana saw her chance, and holding Brittany's hand, and darted away. Sebastian turned, throwing the knife in the direction of the fleeing girls.

It hit Brittany in the back and she screamed. As Santana caught her, lying her gently on the ground, Brittany's cannon went off. Santana cried out, clinging on to Brittany's body. Santana's hair fell over her face as she wept.

Sebastian pulled Santana off of her. Santana twisted, screaming and kicking to get free. One of her flaying feet made contact with Sebastian's groin and he went down with a groan.

Kurt took advantage of the fact that Karofsky was distracted to kick out, sweeping the Career's feet out from under him. Blaine grabbed the Career's sword, swinging it towards Karofsky, who was back on his feet. Karofsky had a second sword, which he had had secured to his back, which he now withdrew holding at the ready. Kurt looked around, feeling completely powerless to defend himself. In a nearby bush he noticed the glint of metal that was his sai swords. He ran to grab them.

Meanwhile, Sebastian had managed to hit Santana with his own sword when he had gone down. She was leaning against the valley wall, clutching at a deep gash on her leg. Sebastian was moaning, but managed to scramble to his feet. He stumbled a few feet forward, sword in hand. He pinned Santana against the wall, his sword at her throat. With the slightest amount of pressure, he drew a line of red across Santana's neck. Her eyes widened, and she let out a final gasp as she went limp and dropped into a heap on the ground.

Her cannon went off.

Sebastian collapsed, his hand clamped over a Santana's knife which was sticking out of his stomach.

Blaine was at a stalemate with Karofsky, his arms straining with the effort off keeping the larger boy's sword from beheading him. Without thinking, Kurt sent one of his sai swords at Karofsky and it lodged itself in his chest.

Blaine stared at Kurt for a moment, his eyes wide, then retrieved the sai from the dying boy's chest. He ran, sword in one hand, sai in the other. He and Kurt fled, leaving the bloodshed.

Kurt glanced over his shoulder as Karofsky's cannon went off. Sebastian was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

><p>As they walked through the woods, Blaine was silent. They had lost their backpack and their water bottle, so when they came upon a river they drank from their hands. Blaine washed the blood off the sai, handed it back to Kurt, then got to work scrubbing the dried blood off the sword he had claimed from Karofsky. "You promised."<p>

Kurt sighed, "Blaine, he was going to kill you. I wasn't going to let that happen." Blaine was ignoring him, his jaw hard set. "Look at me!" he grabbed Blaine's arm, making him face him, "It is not going to change me. Karofsky was trying to kill you." He couldn't get the image of the sai sticking into Karofsky's chest out of his mind, knowing that he had killed someone would haunt him for the rest of his life. But it wouldn't turn him into a monster. He wouldn't let it. "I did what I had to do."

"Then you should have let me die. Kurt you promised not to kill."

"I wasn't just going to stand there and watch the man I love die, knowing that I could prevent it!"

Blaine ran a hand through his hair. "One of us will have to," he said darkly, "We can't be together Kurt. Only one leaves."

"I'm not leaving this place without you!" Kurt threw himself into Blaine's arms, his sobs muffled in Blaine's jacket, "I can't lose you Blaine!"

Blaine gently lifted up Kurt's head, placing a single kiss on his lips. "Go," he whispered.

Kurt held on tight to Blaine's shirt, not understanding what was happening, "Blaine?"

"Go!" Blaine said, more forcibly this time, "Go, because I'm not going to have you risking my life for me. Go, Kurt. So you won't _see_ me die. Win. Live your life. You know I love you. But I can't keep doing this, I can't keep pretending."

Tears ran down Kurt's face, "I'll always love you. I don't want to leave you!"

"Go!" Blaine detangled himself from Kurt's arms.

"Blaine!" Kurt's vision was blurred by his tears.

Blaine got up, gently pushing Kurt away from the stream, "Go!" That last word had finality to it. Kurt knew that he was no longer welcome.

He stumbled backwards, grabbing his sais and securing them in his belt. He ran off, glancing over his shoulder one final time. Blaine had gone off in the other direction. Kurt stopped, leaning on a tree because his body was shaking so violently from weeping that he could barely stand. He sunk to his knees, his face in his hands. He didn't know where Blaine had gone, but still considered going after him. For the first time since the games began he felt alone and more vulnerable than he had ever felt in his life.


	13. Not Alone

**A Dangerous Game**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirteen: Not Alone<strong>

Night came, but Kurt dared not sleep alone. So he continued on, trekking through the woods in no particular direction. Every sound seemed to his mind like a cruel tribute or a bloodthirsty creature. There was a rustling in the tree branches above his head. He drew his sais, stiffening, ready to run at a moment's notice. It was just a small bird, visible only by the light of the moon, looking down on him from above. He sighed. "Hello there. Where's your mate? or did he chase you away like Blaine did to me?" The bird cocked its head then flew off. "See you later then." The momentary sense of companionship the little bird had given him was gone in a moment.

Two more cannon shots had gone off that day. Each one terrified Kurt, and he prayed to a god he didn't believe in that one of those shots had not been Blaine's. The sun had set ages ago so it couldn't be long until the faces of the tributes would be projected. Kurt nestled himself in between the roots of a tree, pulling his jacket tighter around him. Kurt's stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since the night before.

Rain started to patter down, shortly before the Capitol's anthem started. Kurt sat up, finding the spot in the sky where the emblem was being projected. It seemed like an eternity, especially since the water had soaked him through. He sat there shivering as Santana's face was projected into the sky. She was from District Four, Blaine was from Three. He had survived the day, or his face would have been projected before hers. Kurt whispered an apology as the face of the boy he had killed was projected into the sky. Karofsky was followed by Mercedes from District Nine, then Brittany and her fellow District Ten tribute, Joe.

Joe's face disappeared and the sky plunged into darkness.

Kurt shivered, feeling like he was submerged in ice. The ground was turning to mud. Thunder rumbled and occasionally the sky would light up with a flash of lightning.

* * *

><p>Kurt awoke the next morning much warmer than he had been the night before. He opened his eyes slowly. It was still raining lightly, he could hear the patter. A tarp was stretched between the tree he was under and one a few feet away and a blanket was spread over him.<p>

"Good morning," the voice was surprisingly cheery and wonderfully familiar.

Kurt smiled, "Rachel!" He sat up, stretching. "How did you find me?"

Rachel laughed, "It wasn't hard. You're not exactly a master of camouflage." She handed him half a loaf of bread that she had dug out from her backpack, which he gladly accepted. "I was surprised to find you alone. Weren't you allied with that boy from District…"

"Blaine."

She nodded, "Yeah."

"He… um… its complicated. We decided it was best to go our own ways. Well he decided that. I guess he was mad; I sort of broke a promise."

"What? What promise?"

"I promised him I wouldn't kill. But Karofsky had him pinned down so I…"

Rachel gently put a hand on his shoulder, "It's okay. I understand."

Kurt nodded, taking a deep breath. "So what about you? What have you been up to?"

"Well," Rachel took a sip of water from a bottle, which she then offered to Kurt, "I didn't really encounter any other tributes until I found you. I managed to somehow get on the other side of the arena by the ocean… Anyway, I raided the Careers' base, got some supplies. I think Sebastian is guarding it now though, seeing as he is only Career left. Other than the nasty weather, I have actually been doing rather well."

Kurt raised an eyebrow, "Did you say there is an ocean?"

"Yeah, yeah. It's amazing, Kurt! Just like the pictures. I can show you. It is about two hours walk from the Cornucopia. I guess no one else went that way. It's awesome though." She studied his face, noticing an increasing dampness in his eyes. "I'm sorry about what happened with your friend."

"He was more than just… he is… he… I don't know. It was his choice. Come on, let's get moving."

* * *

><p>Blaine had found a small outcropping of rock to shelter him from the rain, but by the time he awoke mud was caked to his pants and the sleeves of his jacket. There was a bitter cold to the air and it smelt like rain was still hanging in the air; a smoky freshness.<p>

He hoped with all his heart that Kurt had found somewhere safe to spend the night. _Did I do the right thing?_ he wondered. He had had no choice; they couldn't keep on pretending that they could leave the arena together. The Games just didn't work that way. He couldn't stand having Kurt take risks for him and he didn't want to think about Kurt killing. In his mind Kurt was pure, and the events of the previous day had threatened to shatter that.

_What if he's hurt?_ the voice in the back of his head whispered, _What if he's out there somewhere? Bleeding and dying in a ditch somewhere. Wishing I'm there with him or cursing me for chasing him away. Oh god! _"Kurt!" Blaine scrambled to his feet. What had he been thinking? He ran back to where he had last seen Kurt the day before, it didn't take long as he hadn't covered much ground. "Kurt!" he yelled as loud as he dared. The stream had become a raging river from the rain, washing away Kurt's footprints.

"Damn," Blaine swore under his breath, heading in the general direction he thought Kurt had gone.


	14. The Girl with the Arrows

**A Dangerous Game**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fourteen: The Girl with the Arrows<strong>

An arrow hit the ground near Blaine's feet. He was so surprised that he tripped and fell onto the hard, uneven ground. He ignored his bleeding hand, which had scrapped on a rock, and picked himself up. He ducked behind a tree, peeking out from behind to try to spot his attacker. All he spotted was a blur of blond hair before another arrow whizzed by his ear.

He reached up feeling his ear, his hand came back with drops of blood. That explained the excruciating pounding that was near deafening. From what he could feel, his ear was still there, but there was blood trickling down his ear canal.

The girl was moving so with so much stealth that all he heard was the occasional ruffle of leaves. The sound seemed to be coming from all directions, more ominous than helpful in locating her position.

"Stop hiding, you're just delaying the inevitable," a sharp female voice came from the bushes beside him.

Blaine edged around his tree away from her voice, "I managed to escape you once before. I assume you were the one that killed my sister."

"That was you? Well what can I say, you ran very fast. I truly am sorry about your sister. I can't afford to be mercifully to anyone."

"She was just a kid."

"So are the rest of us. Besides, I have my Beth waiting for me at home. I can't lose."

Blaine tried to keep her talking long enough to figure out a way to escape, "Beth?"

"My daughter." She was silent for a few moments, "You're Blaine, right? District Three?"

"Yeah," Blaine said slowly, turning around to see if climbing the tree was an option. It wasn't one.

"I'll see if I can get any extra rations sent there when I win. I'm sorry Blaine."

Blaine spun around, his back to the tree once more. The girl from District Twelve, Quinn, was standing in front of him, her bow drawn. She released the arrow and it embedded itself in Blaine's chest, barely an inch away from his heart.

He shouted out, sliding to the ground. She hurried to his side, helping him to lie comfortably. "Since we last met… _well _sort of met… I saw you at least… I came across a tracker jackers' nest. I laced each arrow with tracker jacker poison, it shouldn't be enough to cause any painful hallucinations, just enough to put you to sleep. You might have a few weird dreams before…" she brushed his hair off his forehead, then slowly slide the arrow out of his chest, wiping the blood off on the grass before replacing it in her quiver, "Good night Blaine, I'm sorry." With a glance over her shoulder, she grabbed the other two arrows she had shot at him, and then hurried off.

* * *

><p>A scream echoed through the woods. Kurt stopped in his tracks, "Did you hear that?"<p>

Rachel nodded. They waited for the cannon to go off, but the sound never came. Rachel started to go off in the other direction from the scream. She glanced over her shoulder at Kurt, who hadn't moved. "Come on! The killer might be coming this way. We should be getting out of here before they do."

Kurt shook his head. He headed in the direction of the scream. There was a feeling deep in his heart that the injured tribute was Blaine. He couldn't have explained it, but he just knew it was true.

"Kurt! Where do you think you're going?" Rachel looked longingly in the direction she had wanted to go, then reluctantly followed her friend.

* * *

><p>Quinn ran through the woods, leaping gracefully over broken tree branches. She wiped tears out of her eyes angrily. She hated this. She cried over every kill, but she could afford the handicap of blurred vision. Odd… the Anderson boy's cannon hadn't gone off yet. She had hit him close to his heart; that is, if she hadn't <em>actually<em> hit it. For a moment she considered going back, but thought better of it. He would die eventually and her tracker jacker concoction would have him unconscious by now. He wouldn't be in pain, she didn't lace the arrows with enough poison to cause him pain, just enough to knock him out. He wasn't in pain. _Right?_ He wasn't in pain, he couldn't be. There was no reason to go back. He _did_ have a sword but she had left him with that; she had no use for it and it would be taken with him when he was removed from the arena, which was all for the better. She didn't need to go around leaving weapons for the other tributes.

The rain had really done a number on her bow, she had tried to keep it dry but there was only so much she could do. The string had gotten a bit lose, which had thrown off her aim. If it was tight she could have easily hit the boy on her first shot. She sat down at the base of a tree getting to work. The bow really was useless in this state. Frowning at it, she got to work tightening the string.

"Who was it?" a high, but distinctly male, voice demanded.

Quinn looked up to find a sai sword inches from her. She glared at holder. "I have no clue what you mean."

A small girl was standing behind the boy, "Kurt. Don't."

"She has a good idea there," Quinn smiled at him.

Kurt pressed the slender sword into her chest, "Who did you attack?"

Quinn tapped her fingers on her quiver, ready to withdraw an arrow. She couldn't shot it at him from this distance, but she wouldn't need to. "Blaine Ander…" Before she finished, Kurt had her pressed against the tree one sai at her throat and another pressed against her chest.

"Give me a reason," he hissed, "Give me a reason I shouldn't run you through."

"Dramatic, don't you think? Look, sorry if he was a friend of yours…"

Kurt's eyes narrowed. He pushed the sai into Quinn's heart. Her cannon went off before she hit the ground.

Kurt stumbled back, collapsing onto the ground. He still had the bloodied sword in his hand. He numbly dropped it, vaguely aware of Rachel standing in shock behind him. He felt sick to his stomach. What had he done? Quinn's empty eyes starred at him accusingly. Kurt hurriedly reached out, closing her lids. It was different than Karofsky. He hadn't meant to kill him, only maim him slightly. Quinn had been deliberate, pure revenge for what she had done to Blaine.

_Blaine! _Where was he? Was he already so far gone that anything Kurt did would do nothing to save him? Quinn wouldn't have left him if he wasn't close to death.

Kurt got to his feet as if in a trance and somehow managed to follow the tracks Quinn had left. Rachel was somewhere behind him. He didn't care. All that mattered was Blaine. The smell of blood was the first sign that he was in the right place. He spun around, almost missing him, as he was lying on the ground barely moving. Kurt sunk to his knees next to him. He put Blaine's head in his lap, kissing his forehead. "Please wake up." He whispered. "Don't leave me. Not like this."

Blaine was sweating, but was as cold as ice. His eyes were moving under closed lids. In his chest was a deep, bloody wound. Running his fingers through Blaine's hair, Kurt discovered a scratch on the side of his ear, blood seeping from it.

"Rachel!" Kurt shouted. "He's here."

A rustling signified her running toward them. She knelt next to them.

Kurt looked up at her with tear filled eyes. "I don't know what to do. He can't die."

Rachel set down Kurt's sai swords which she had grabbed when Kurt had ran from the site of Quinn's death. After digging around in her backpack for a few seconds she withdrew a water bottle and some gaze. She got to work on Blaine's wound. Kurt felt useless, but every time he tried to help his hands shook so bad he was more in the way than anything else. He cradled Blaine's head, while Rachel went to work cleaning and wrapping Blaine's wound. The arrow hadn't gone all the way through, but it was deep. Deep enough that once Rachel had it covered, the white gaze quickly turned to red. Blaine moaned, shifting in Kurt's arms.

Overhead the ship came to collect Quinn. Kurt instinctively leaned over Blaine, trying to hide him from the view of the vessel's crew, some part of him feeling like he was shielding him from death.


	15. Tracker Jacker

**A Dangerous Game**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifteen: Tracker Jacker<strong>

Blacking out after being shot by Quinn, Blaine had no clue that he had been found by Kurt or that his wound had been tended to. In fact, he wasn't really aware of anything at all. Anything real that is...

_Blaine didn't know where he was; everything was in shades of grey, which made details hard to distinguish. He was on a pedestal; that much was clear. Bright lights were focused on him like eyes. There was a constant pounding, loud, like a cross between drums and the whip of a fan._

_He shielded his eyes, trying to see past the lights__, squinting__. "Hello?" he said tentatively._

"_Blaine Anderson," a voice came from behind him. Swinging around, Blaine was relieved to see that it was just Caesar Flickerman. "Follow me." Flickerman turned, walking off in to the darkness._

"_Wait!" Blaine hurried off after him, not wanting to be left behind. _

_Flickerman led him down a path, which stretched out into infinity. They were still surrounded by the eyes, and darkness still hung over them. He stopped, facing Blaine. "Let the Games begin." And with a bright flash, he vanished._

_The eyes or lights or whatever they were snapped back, forming a dome around him. From twenty-three openings in the darkness, emerged tributes, all faceless with empty black eyes and no distinguishing marks to tell them apart. All were identical, all except for one. _

_Kurt. _

_Kurt. _

_Although he was in black and white, his bright eyes shined __blue__.  
><em>

_The other tributes were frozen in place as if waiting for a signal to move, but Kurt moved slowly toward him, a gentle and loving smile on his beautiful face. "Blaine," his voice sounded like music. Blaine would have run to him, but his feet seemed locked to the floor. So he had to wait for Kurt to come to him, seeming to take millennia, although it was little more than a matter of seconds._

_Kurt ran his hands up Blaine's arms, smoothing his palms over his back. He pulled him forward and Blaine's feet were freed from the floor and he stumbled into Kurt's arms. Their lips touched, passionate but slow. Kurt moved back, looking into Blaine's eyes, "Run to me Blaine. Run."_

"_You're here, I don't understand…"_

"_Run," Kurt ordered. He started to vanish from Blaine's arms, turning to a glowing mist and then disappearing completely. _

_Blaine grasped at the air where Kurt had been._

"_Run," Kurt's voice echoed._

* * *

><p>Rachel and Kurt set up camp around Blaine, not wanting to move him. The tarp protected him from the lightly falling rain, but he seemed completely unaware of everything. Nothing Kurt did or said could awake him, although occasionally Blaine would mutter something incomprehensible and shiver uncontrollably.<p>

Kurt leaned down, kissing Blaine's forehead. "It's okay, shh… It's okay. I'm here. You're okay. You're going to be okay. I can't lose you." He looked over to Rachel, sniffing and whipping his tears off on his sleeve. "I don't understand. You said his wound wasn't fatal, right?"

They had received a gift from a sponsor, which had done something to heal his wound, but it was still red and raw, still oozing blood. Even the cut on his ear was unhealed, although the powerful Capitol medicine should have sealed the skin.

Rachel nodded, "He didn't lose too much blood. He should be fine. It was deep, but not in a position to cause internal bleeding."

Kurt wished that he had paid more attention to the first aid portion of training, Rachel had spent most of her time there, but he hadn't really seen the point. In his mind getting injured in the arena would mean certain death, which he now hoped with all his heart was not so. "Then what did she do to him?"

"I don't know," Rachel sighed.

None of this seemed right; it was like a puzzle with one piece missing. Some clue Kurt had overlooked as to why Blaine was in this condition. The injury had become swollen and Kurt feared it had become infected.

Swollen… that reminded him of something. When he was about nine, he had snuck into an old, abandoned factory on a dare. The place was practically falling apart. The machinery was broken down and rusty. It had been dark, as there were very few windows and the light weren't working, so he had literally been under the nest before he had saw it was there. Of course he had heard of tracker jackers before, everyone knew about them, but he had never seen one before so he didn't immediately realize what they were. He had screamed when it finally dawned on him; if he hadn't he would have possibly been able to get uninjured. The sound had awoken insects and they had swarmed him. By some miracle he had managed to get back out with only the slightest graze from the stinger; some of the boy's who had dared him to go in weren't as lucky. They had been unconscious for weeks and one boy had never been quite the same since. Kurt had gotten off lucky, it took him a few days but he eventually recovered. A cold sweat, vivid dreams and hallucinations, swelling at the place of the injury… of course!

Still, that didn't explain how an injury caused by an arrow head was giving him tracker jacker sting symptoms. But did it matter how tracker poison had entered his wound? He knew exactly what he needed; it had been one of the first things he had covered in training. "I'll be right back."

Rachel stared at Kurt as he got to his feet, "Where are you going?"

"I'll be back in a few minutes." He hurried off, then shouted an explanation over his shoulder, "I think I know what can save Blaine!"

* * *

><p>"<em>Run."<em>

_Blaine obeyed turning on his heels and fleeing. Behind him he could sense the tributes following close, freed from their previous bind. The darkness melted out of his way, forming a path as he ran._

_No matter how far he ran, the tributes gained on him. Fear and exhaustion consumed him and just as he felt that he could go no further, the blackness stopped moving out of his way._

_Blaine pounded his fists onto the wall of black, but it refused to give way. He ran forward trying to find another way. A tribute stopped in his path, its cold black eyes watching him. It walked towards him, taking its time. He turned in the other direction, only to find himself face to face with another one of the monstrous beings. The rest of them emerged from the darkness. _

_Blaine backed up, looking over his shoulder. The black wall had turned into a swirling mass of nothingness. Not simply black, but pure nothingness. It terrified him, perhaps for that reason or perhaps for the ominous thrumming sound that it was omitting. No! He was not going to go through that… that… whatever it was!_

_The tributes, which were now more creature than human, were relentless however. There seemed no other choice. Blaine clenched his eyes shut and allowed himself to be pulled back into the oblivion._

* * *

><p>While Kurt had been off searching for the right plant, a cannon shot had rung out. He had raced back to camp terrified that the shot had belonged one of his companions. "Rachel! Are you okay? What happened?"<p>

Rachel jumped is surprise, not expecting him back. "It wasn't us."

Kurt sighed in relief, sinking down to the ground. "I found what I was looking for at least." He opened his hand; he had managed to find four of the shiny green leaves. He gently uncovered Blaine's worst wound, which restarted bleeding slightly when the gaze was removed from it. He gently laid the leaves on the wound, saving one for the cut on Blaine's ear in case it was also infected.

By the time the sun was setting, the leaves had made the swelling on Blaine's wound go down, but not nearly as much as Kurt would have liked. However, Blaine did seem to be sleeping more peacefully now, which hopefully was a good sign that he was on the road to recovery.

* * *

><p><em>Nothingness.<em>

* * *

><p>Kurt chose to try to get some sleep, although he was unable to achieve this. Feigning sleep was more for the purpose of avoiding watching the tributes be projected into the sky. Rachel whispered to him that Sam Evans was the cannon they had heard earlier.<p>

Kurt stared at the ground, fixating on a bit of bark. He didn't need to see Quinn again; the shocked expression on her face when she had died was forever engrained in his memory.


	16. Flood

**A Dangerous Game**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Sixteen: Flood<strong>

Kurt awoke to the sound of moaning. He blinked his eyes open, "Blaine!" He had his arms around him; they had been keeping each other warm though the night.

"Kurt? Where am I?" Blaine mumbled, hissing when he twisted the wrong way and aggravated his injury. "What happened?"

"Shh… Lay still, you'll hurt yourself more." Kurt kissed Blaine's cheek. "Oh! I thought I had lost you. Don't scare me like that again!"

Blaine pushed himself up, leaning against the trunk of the tree. "What's going on? The last thing I remember…" he frowned trying to sort out what had happened the day before. _Actually, is that right? How long has it been?_ "We had separated and I was walking and then…" everything after that was a blur… he remembered the girl confessing to being the one who killed his sister… getting shot… that was about it. "What happened to her? That girl. She killed Chels…"

"She… She isn't... She's dead." Kurt bit his lip, not making eye contact.

They sat there in silence. Kurt's words sinking into Blaine's mind. "You killed her?" Kurt said nothing. "Kurt I don't want you to…"

"Quiet!" Kurt hissed.

"Kurt! I…"

"For goodness sakes Blaine! Quiet!" Kurt stood up hurriedly. "Rachel," he nudged the girl, "Wake up, quick!"

Rachel blinked sleep out of her eyes, mumbling "What's wrong?"

There was a strange rumbling that was growing louder by the second. Without answering, he started stuffing their makeshift tent and Rachel's blanket into the backpack. He slung the backpack over his shoulder, kneeling by Blaine. "Do you think you can walk?"

"I was shot in the chest, not in my leg."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "You're unbelievable," he said fondly. He helped Blaine to his feet, putting his arm around him. The rumbling was getting closer. Oddly it sounded like a river, but it was louder than the thrum of the machinery in the factories back in District Eight. They hurried off in the opposite direction from the sound, Rachel and Kurt helping Blaine along. "Do you even know where we're going?" Kurt asked.

Rachel looked over at him, "No clue, I haven't been this way yet."

They made their way as quickly as possible, still not knowing what was pursuing them. "In here," Kurt guided the others to the mouth of a cave he had just noticed. It was a tight fit but they managed to squeeze in, it opened out more as the climbed down. There was only a little bit of light, but Kurt could see that Blaine looked slightly pale by the time they reached the bottom of the cave.

Rachel and Kurt helped Blaine sit down. "What if it's another fire?" Rachel slipped on the loose rocks, catching herself on the cave wall.

"In that case I'd much rather be in here, then out there surrounded by trees and bushes. Don't you agree?" Kurt said.

"Good point."

Kurt settled down on the ground, his head resting on Blaine's shoulder. "We should be safe in here. We'll just stay here until whatever that is passes."

"Well if we're going to be here a while…" Blaine put his arm around him. "You have anything to eat in that backpack of yours?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, I think so." Kurt passed him the backpack.

Blaine ruffled through the pack, pulling out a loaf of bread and devouring it. He offered some the others, but quickly turned back to eating it after they refused. He swallowed, "That sound is coming closer."

No sooner had he said that, then water started to flow into the cave. Suddenly everything made sense. The sound of a river, but louder than machinery; it was a flood. And they were trapped.

Rachel shrieked as the water started to pool around there feet. The water was filling the cave, the level rising at a horrifying rate. They hurried to the mouth of the cave, trying to climb out. The water was gushing in, pushing them back forcibly. To make matters worse, the loose rock were becoming slick, making footing hard to keep.

Kurt waded back, the water up to his waist. "This isn't working." The pressure of the water coming into the cave made it impossible to get out, and to make matters worse it had reopened the wound on Blaine's chest, which was bleeding freely again. Kurt wondered what the Capitol was making of this; they were probably eagerly placing bets on which of the trio would drown first. "Wait 'til the water has stopped coming in. We might be able to get out if the cave fills up."

"That's called drowning, Kurt." Rachel glared at him, "_Drowning!_"

Kurt rolled his eyes, taking Blaine's hand and leading him a few feet from the incoming water. He looked back at Rachel, an eyebrow raised.

"Fine," she grumbled, coming over to stand beside them.

The water had reached Kurt and Blaine's necks now, and Rachel was treading water. But at least it was coming in less forcibly now. "Ready?" Kurt asked.

Blaine and Rachel nodded. "Ready," Blaine confirmed.

All three took a deep breath and they submerged themselves. They squeezed through the opening one at a time. Kurt went last as it was his idea. He scratched himself on the rocks and, because of the sai swords that were still attached to his belt, nearly got caught on them. He gasped for breath when he reached the surface. The water whipped him away and his head was pulled under the water for a few terrifying moments. He didn't know what had happened to Rachel and Blaine, but took some comfort in the fact that he had seen them get out of the cave.

Kurt slammed into a tree, grabbing onto it. Water slashed into his face and he sputtered. He choked as water entered his lungs. His vision obscured by the water being sprayed in his face, he managed to make out a flash of color passing him on the right. He reached out for it, hoping for it to be Rachel or Blaine. It wasn't.

It was the backpack. Reaching for it had given the water the opportunity to pull him from his tree. Kurt clung to the pack. It was floating and at the moment it was the only thing keeping him above water.

A cannon went off.

Then another.

_Oh god, Blaine! Rachel!_

Kurt tried to catch sight of them, looking for some conformation that they were still alive. But he was being spun so fast in the rapids that it was hard to focus on anything.

"Blaine!" Kurt spit out the water that entered his mouth when he shouted that, "Blaine! Rachel?"

There was no answer. The flood spilled over a steep hill, creating something of a waterfall. Kurt twisted the shoulder strap of the backpack around his hand, taking a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for the fall.

There were a few seconds when everything seemed to stop, then he was plunging down. He hung onto the backpack for dear life. The water didn't let him resurface, and his lungs started to burn with the need for oxygen. Nothing Kurt could see gave him any clue of which was up and which was down; all was bubbles and water and submerged plants torn from their roots.

Eventually he simply couldn't keep his mouth closed any longer. Water flowed into his lungs, soothing the burn, but making him feel heavy. Everything was becoming blurry.

Kurt passed out.

* * *

><p>"Kurt! Damn it, Kurt! Don't do this! Breath!"<p>

A pounding on his chest…

Then pressure on his lips…

"Breath!"

Kurt became aware of lips on his own, blowing sweet air down his throat and fists hitting his chest. He sputtered, water flowing out of his lungs. Gasping for breath, his eyes snapped open. He was shaking. His throat and lungs felt raw and no amount of air seemed adequate. Blaine was kneeling next to him, soaked.

The ground Kurt was lying on was muddy; the dirt clung to him as he sat up. "Blaine," he murmured, coughing. He leaned over to him, relaxing in his lover's arms.

"Shhh… it's okay," Blaine soothed, kissing Kurt's forehead. He reached over to the backpack, which had miraculously stayed with Kurt; the strap had been twisted around his wrist so it hadn't separated from him even after he passed out. Blaine dug around in it, finding the blanket and wrapping it around Kurt's shoulders. Wonderfully the waterproofing on the bag had kept the fabric dry.

"Where's Rachel? She isn't here." Kurt realized. "Where is she? I heard a cannon shot… two I think… is she…? Did she...?"

"Kurt, I'm so sorry."

"Where is she?" Kurt said quietly.

Blaine sighed, "Follow me." He took Kurt's hand, grabbing the backpack off the ground with his other hand, and led him a few yards away. There was Rachel, splayed out on the ground. "I found her first. She was already… she was already dead."

Kurt collapsed to his knees next to his best friend, gently brushing her wet hair off her forehead. He sniffed, whipping tears out of his eyes. Blaine kneeled next to him, putting his arm around him. Rachel's eyes were open, blankly staring into the sky. Kurt reached out and closed them. "If I hadn't suggested we go in that damn cave…"

"It wasn't your fault."

"But I should've…"

"It was _not _your fault."

Kurt buried his face in Blaine's chest. Blaine held him through the tears.


	17. Condolences

**A Dangerous Game**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seventeen: Condolences<strong>

"I'm sorry."

"How are you holding up?"

"Such a shame, she was a sweet girl."

All Finn heard were condolences. He was in the Hummel-Hudson residence when it had happened. Everyone was huddled around the old television set that had been in the Hummel family for nearly three generations. Despite a large dent in the top left corner and the slight discoloration of the screen, the set was in surprisingly good shape. Good enough at least to watch the Games in their apartment, instead of trudging down to the city square through the rain to watch the show on the huge public screens.

He had had a horrible feeling that entire day that something was wrong. It wasn't until he went home from the factory to watch the mandatory review of the day's events in the arena that he found out. Her death wasn't shown until about half way through the episode. But still he knew. From the minute Caesar Flickerman's face appeared on the screen. From the first images of the flood and the first announcement that two tributes had died that day, Finn knew. Rachel was gone.

He accepted the fact. Even though it felt like his heart was being torn apart the second that they entered that cave.

It was over.

Rachel was gone.

Finn left the room as her death was shown. He could still hear her, thrashing in the water, screaming. He could hear it all through the thin wall as he sat out in the hallway, his head in his hands, crying. He returned only when there was silence to see her smiling face on last time when her picture was shown at the end.

Rachel was gone.

Flickerman narrated a few clips from her time in the Games, replayed her interview. Then it was over. Finn would never hear Rachel's voice again, never kiss her and never hold her. He would see her again, of course, when her body was returned to District Eight. But she would never sing again. She would never tell him that she loved him, even though he would spend the remainder of his life loving her. She was gone.

The next day at work, his friends gave him pats on the back and gentle words of comfort, but it meant nothing.

Rachel was dead. Gone. Forever.

Nothing had meaning anymore. _Nothing without her. _And when you have nothing, you have nothing to lose, right? _Nothing to lose._

Now, Finn wasn't the sort to come up with plans, but on occasion a sudden brilliant one would come to him. Like the time he had stuck a bag of dog poop to the underneath of the chair of a particularly nasty teacher and got away with it and she had spent the whole class trying to figure out where the vile smell was coming from. That had been a particularly good plan. And the one he had now was even better.

He would need help of course, but it was just a matter of who he could trust. There was only one person he could think of who would be feeling Rachel's death almost as badly as he was… someone who would want to revenge her death.

But also, unfortunately, someone he didn't get along with well.

Jesse St. James had dated Rachel before Finn did. While it may have been true that Jesse and Rachel hadn't exactly ended on the best of terms, it was public knowledge that he still had a soft spot for her. He would defiantly be mourning her death. When Jesse was younger he had been notorious for causing trouble, but no one could ever catch him for it. Once the Peacekeepers had come close to catching him for removing his name from the Games' lottery and Jesse had vanished before they could arrest him for it. One day he was there, the next no one knew where he was or what had happened to him. Some said that he was dead, killed quietly by the Peacekeepers. Others argued that the Peacekeepers would have made a spectacle of his death as an example for others and claimed that he had survived.

And then there were rumors that Jesse was currently residing in the abandoned city. But the perpetrators of these rumors kept quiet about their identity, because technically no one was supposed to know about the city. It was out of the District's barriers, where no one was supposed to go, but the fence surrounding District Eight had fallen to disrepair long ago. It was common place for children to go to the city to play in the rubble. Jesse had claimed to have found a library filled with books about the time before Panem. A time of freedom. No one believed him and no one dared to explore the remaining buildings of the city, because it was said that they were haunted. It was bad luck to even be _in_ the city, but to go in the buildings could place you under a curse; it could invite the city's ghosts to follow you home. Kurt had once been dared to go in one of the abandoned factories; he had nearly been killed by tracker jackers. The buildings were haunted.

Jesse had never believed any of this, however, and it would only make sense that he would be there. Which meant that Finn had only one course of action; he needed to go to the abandoned city.


	18. Seaside

**This chapter is fluff, wonderful fluff. It's important to the story, but it's still fluff. I've been mean to the boys lately and I thought I would let them have a nice time for a while. Actual plot in the next chapter.**

* * *

><p><strong>A Dangerous Game<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eighteen: Seaside<strong>

The night after Rachel died, Kurt and Blaine returned to the cave they had almost drowned in. Kurt had been hesitant, due to the recent and horrible experiences connected to it. But Blaine had insisted that it would be the safest place to spend the night, and silently Kurt had to agree with that. The water had been drained out of it, faster than would have been possible naturally. It was the Games after all; everything was orchestrated.

The cave was so enclosed that starting a fire would have filled it with smoke, but that didn't matter because snuggling together under the blanket provided plenty of warmth. Kurt had redressed Blaine's wound, which had opened in the flood.

Blaine left for a few minutes when the projections started. "The second cannon shot belonged to Becky Jackson from District Five."

"She was still alive?"

Blaine shrugged, "She was hiding well." He sat next to Kurt and pulled the blanket back around their shoulders. He kissed Kurt's cheek, "You okay?"

Kurt shook his head, letting out a small sob. "No. I grew up with Rach, she was my best friend."

Blaine held him in his arms, gently running his fingers through Kurt's hair. "I understand."

_Oh of course he does! _Kurt suddenly felt horribly guilty. Blaine had lost his sister; he knew what Kurt was feeling. But he had stayed strong. For Kurt. So that he wouldn't be a liability to him.

And now Kurt had to do the same, because without each other they were nothing. "I love you," he whispered.

Blaine kissed his forehead, as that was what was immediately available. "I love you more than anything."

"There are only five of us left. There might not be many days left."

"I know," Blaine said quietly. He was completely aware that their time together was limited, because as much as he wanted to believe that they would both be allowed to go free, he knew it wasn't possible.

Kurt was silent for a few minutes then spoke up softly, "Tomorrow I want to head for the coast."

"The what?"

"The coast. Rachel told me that there is an ocean. I want to see it… before…" he trailed off. "I've never seen the ocean before."

"But when they show District Four every ye…"

"That isn't the same. I want to see the ocean. The real ocean, not pictures. Please Blaine?"

"Sounds nice."

Kurt smiled, "Thank you." He placed his head on Blaine's chest, careful to avoid his injury. He could hear Blaine's heart beating and it was wonderfully comforting.

* * *

><p>"So where exactly are we going?" The sun was beating down on them.<p>

Kurt, however, seemed to have adapted to the heat, although he was staying well hydrated to prevent getting heat exhaustion like he had the first day. He was making his way up a rocky hill as if he was a mountain goat, not making a single pebble fall out of place. "Keep up slowpoke! It can't be far now." He was following Rachel's directions and from the salty smell in the air, he knew that the seaside couldn't be far away now. An incredible sight met him when he reached the top of the hill. A field of clear blue was spread out before him. The sun was shining down on the water, coloring it gold in the early morning light. "Blaine, you have to see this."

The sea breeze was gently playing with Kurt's hair and he was silhouetted by the sun. He was gorgeous. "I see it, Kurt. You... er… _it_ is beautiful."

Kurt looked back at him, laughing joyfully, "Race you there!" He darted off, skidding down the rocks without caring if he was being loud. The second he landed on the sand, he kicked off his shoes. The sand felt so good on his feet. Suddenly a weight pulled him to the ground. "Blaine!" he rolled over to face his attacker.

Blaine smiled at him, "What? You were winning!" He leaned forward, kissing Kurt.

Kurt closed his eyes in pleasure then realized that Blaine's lips were gone from his. "Hey where did you…? Blaine! Come back here!"

Blaine had taken the opportunity to run to the water and was already splashing around, a trail of his jacket and socks behind him on the sand. Kurt's heavy clothing joined the ones already covering the sand until he was only in his thin undershirt and pants, which he rolled up. He dove in the water, cool on his sun warmed skin. Sighing, he stretched out in the smooth wet sand, the water gently lapping over him.

Splash!

"Blaine!"

His lover grinned impishly at him. Kurt halfheartedly flicked a bit of water at him. Blaine winced as the water hit his face, "Oh come on! You can do better than that!"

Kurt raised a thin eyebrow, "Was that a challenge?"

"Maybe."

That began a water war that lasted for several minutes until both boys flopped out on the sand out of pure exhaustion. "This is incredible," Kurt stretched his feet, letting the sand run between his toes. He rolled over so to rest his chin on Blaine's chest, they had stripped their clothes, both claiming the reason to be that it was too warm, but both knowing that to not be the true reason. It was peaceful here, like their roof back in the Capitol. "You're incredible." Kurt placed his lips gently on Blaine's lips, kissing him tenderly.

They made love and basked in the sun and swam in the sea... everything was perfect...


	19. The City Dwellers

**A Dangerous Game**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nineteen: The City Dwellers<strong>

Finn held up the edge of the chain link fence, so that it wouldn't scratch his back as he squeezed through. It clanged back into place, looking as if it had never been moved.

A path led him along the fence for a few yards and then veered left into the tree line. Finn hadn't treaded this path in years but it really hadn't changed. It was just as overgrown as it always had been, but he knew that it would lead him to the city.

The trees gave way to a clearing and the ruined city was just visible over the crest of a hill. It took less than ten minutes for Finn to reach the edge of the city. His feet crunched over the gravel. It was a particularly rainy day, so he had no fear that he would encounter any little children exploring the ruins. Which was good; it would be best if no one were to know where he was going.

"Jesse," he shouted, his voice echoing through the city. He really didn't know how else to contact the man, other than "Jesse! Dude, where are you?"

"Who are you?" said a voice that was most defiantly not Jesse's as it was distinctly female, "Why are you looking for Jesse? Go away now or I might have to shoot you!"

Finn spun around, looking for the woman, "I have an offer for him. Please don't shoot me! It would hurt. A lot."

The woman laughed, emerging from the rubble, an odd looking gun in her hands. She was short and slender, with blonde hair that fell around her face like a waterfall. She had a strange accent that defiantly didn't originate from District Eight. "You're Finn Hudson, right? Your fiancé was in the Games."

"Yeah," Finn said slowly, "And you are?"

The woman smiled, walking forward and shaking his hand, "April Rhodes, nice to meet you. Follow me." She turned and headed towards one of the better preserved buildings. When she realized that he wasn't following, she turned and gestured for him to do so. "What you waiting for silly?" she laughed. Finn hesitantly trotted after her. April dug something out of her overcoat and offered it to him. "Want some, hun?"

It was just about the stinkiest alcohol he had ever encountered. He resisted the urge to puke, "No thank you." April shrugged, taking a deep swig. She disappeared behind a sheet that was hanging in a crack in the wall in place of a door. Finn, being slightly taller than her, had to duck to get in. "Where exactly are we going?"

They had entered a darkly lit hallway. At one point it might have been a hospital, but now it was in such disrepair that it was almost unrecognizable as such.

"This way," April turned right, opening a door and going down a stairwell. It was even darker here and Finn had to grab hold of the handrail to stop from tripping. "Mind the next step, it isn't there."

Finn frowned jumping over the missing step.

On the second level, April took a torch from a makeshift wall hanging that was once a light fixture. She produced a match from one of her overcoat pockets and lit the torch. For a few short moments, Finn wondered how the woman's alcohol breath didn't catch on fire.

The torch flickered, eliminating the stairwell.

Finn followed April down three more levels then stopped at a locked door. April gestured for him to step back then rapped smartly on the door. "Jesse, I got a boy here to see you. Finn Hudson."

There was a jingling of the lock then the door opened a crack. One of Jesse's blue eyes appeared, sparkling in the firelight. "What do you want Hudson? Why did you bring him here, April?"

"How would you like to steal a hovercraft?" Finn said before he could be sent away or worse.

Jesse's eye disappeared and there was a jangling again. He opened the door, "You have my attention."

* * *

><p>"That may just be the craziest plan I have ever heard." They were sitting around a pile of crates that had been arranged to form a table. Jesse had his feet up on it, and was leaning back on the wall, and amused look on his face. "But it might just work. I may have underestimated you, Finn."<p>

Finn's eyes widened, "So you're in?" he asked hopefully.

Jesse sat up, staring straight at Finn, suddenly immensely serious. "Those bastards killed Rachel. And your plan, as insane as it might be, could possible give them what they dole out. So yes, I'm in. But on my terms, got that Hudson?"

Finn nodded, "Deal." They shook on it.


	20. Hovercraft

**A Dangerous Game**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty: Hovercraft<strong>

They would be returning Rachel's body to District Eight that evening. Finn smuggled Jesse and April, who had insisted on coming with them, through the hole in the fence. No one really gave them a second glance; there were at least enough people in District Eight for two strangers not to stand out. They had a hood over Jesse's face, just in case they encountered anyone who might possibly remember him. They made their way to the city square, which was the only place large enough for the hovercraft to land. Hidden under their overcoats, each had one of those odd, old-fashioned shotguns.

As the fiancé of the deceased, Finn was allowed to go all the way up to the ship to receive her body. Rachel was brought out on a floating platform, flowers arranged in her hair and dressed in a silk dress. Finn leaned down and kissed her forehead. He straightened slowly, a foot taller than the two Peacekeepers surrounding him. They never even knew it was coming.

Within seconds each had a bullet hole in their heart. There were only three other Peacekeepers present, it was only a funerary service after all, and they were quickly dispatched by Jesse and April.

The two ran over to Finn, pushing their way through the stunned crowd. They backed their way into the ship and Jesse hit a button that closed the doors. "Do you even know how to fly this thing?" Finn said sitting down in a chair that was bolted to the floor to stop it from falling when the hovercraft took off.

Jesse sat in the pilot's seat, "I haven't exactly flown one before. When would I have an opportunity to do so? But I've read everything about them. In the library you refused to go inside…"

"I got it." Finn snapped remembering exactly why he didn't like this guy. "Just make it move."

* * *

><p>They were lying next to each other on the sand, under the shade of a leafy tree. Kurt was sleeping peacefully, snoring quietly. His breath was gently tickling over Blaine's bare chest. A cannon went off and Blaine resisted the urge to flinch, not wanting to wake Kurt, who simply rolled over at the noise.<p>

Four. Four were left. And as the Games were drawing to an end, would the Gamemakers allow them to stay in their beach paradise? Maybe for a while, they were popular apparently. After all they had received a gift, which at this point must have taken many sponsors to buy. It had contained an odd desert of sorts; something more crystallized than ice cream and sweet like fruit. Kurt had called it… _sortay?_ _No, sorbet._ Not particularly useful, but it was absolutely delicious. Enclosed was a note from Kurt's mentor, Sue, which read "_Just remember that there are cameras everywhere!_"

This had made Kurt blush bright red and quickly retrieve his pants.

Blaine had suggested that they might be able to get steaks if they tried again; this earned him twenty minutes sitting alone to "think about what you just said, Anderson!"

Kurt had eventually let him return to the shade under the tree and had even left him half of the dessert, which oddly hadn't melted.

* * *

><p>Seneca Crane was a very busy man. Not only was he Head Gamemaker, he also had to make sure not to displease President Snow. And honestly he wasn't sure which one was more work.<p>

Crane stood on the platform above his workers, overseeing everything they were doing. There had been a major oversight earlier, when one of the Gamemakers had left cameras focused on the boys from Two and Eight. It had started quite the frenzy among the public. Of course the Gamemaker responsible had been executed. This was the Hunger Games, there were _children_ watching! Crane had to make sure it remained appropriate for them. So he had ordered his workers to keep the cameras on Sebastian Smythe. Now that boy was doing well! The way he took out the boy from District Six, Mike Chang…. absolutely outstanding! Blood everywhere. Crane was glad that he had gotten that on camera for the audience. And then there was the girl from District Eleven, Lauren. She was very interesting. She wasn't even carrying a weapon and her head count was almost as high as Sebastian's.

Sebastian and Lauren in the finale would be very interesting indeed. Crane had been about to order a tidal wave to get rid of the bothersome lover boys when he had received a message from Snow. Not to kill the two boys, but instead to make sure that Lauren was the next to go. Maybe Snow really was going senile.

Crane had been trying to contact him for almost ten minutes for an explanation when...

"Sir, call from the President."

Crane snatched the phone from the man, waving for him to return to his work. "President Sno…"

"You didn't kill them, did you? You can be replaced, Seneca."

Crane gulped, "No... No sir. Both are very much intact."

"Good," Snow grunted, "We need them."

"Might I ask why, sir?" Crane said tiredly.

"Because… they're bait." Then the President hung up.

Honestly the man _was _going senile.


	21. Crash

**A Dangerous Game**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-One: Crash<strong>

The first thing April Rhodes was aware of when she awoke was a very loud, very obnoxious electronic alarm going off. She picked herself off the ground, blinking to regain focus. The ground was covered with broken glass, which at first she thought was from the windows, until she remembered something Jesse had said about them being shatter-proof. April was very disappointed to find that the glass was the remains of her bottle of scotch.

She got to her feet, stumbling over to Jesse, who was slumped over the control panel. "Hey!" she said. "What happened? Jesse," she flicked him, "wake up." She hit him around the back of the head, "Hey!"

Jesse snapped awake, looking around in confusion. "What the hell, April?"

She shrugged, "You were ignoring me."

"I was unconscious," Jesse growled. He turned in his chair, shoving at Finn's shoulder, who was knocked out in the chair next to him. "Wake up, genius. You made us crash."

* * *

><p><em>Two Hours Earlier<em>

"_For goodness sakes, April!" Jesse exclaimed, trying to keep his eyes on the sky, "Go sit down."_

_April glared at him, moving away from where she had been standing behind his chair (and commenting on everything he was doing), and going to sit in one of the chairs in the back. "So what exactly are we planning to do?" she said, putting her feet up and leaning back in a way that defiantly could not be safe on any moving vehicle. _

_Finn and Jesse were both silent._

"_I didn't think we would get this far. I'm actually surprised Finn's plan worked," Jesse admitted._

"_I thought we were going to save my brother," Finn said quietly._

_Jesse raised an eyebrow, "You know where he is?"_

"_No…" Finn said slowly, "but wouldn't the ship have just come from there? Couldn't we just reverse the course?"_

"_Of course, yes. I was about to say that," Jesses glared at Finn, then thumbed a button, making the ship shudder and slightly alter its course. "We should be there soon." He said, leaning back in his chair._

_Clouds skimmed by the windows, making Finn turn away; he didn't want to be reminded of exactly how high up they were._

"_Nope, sorry!" April's voice was heard from the back, along with the slamming of the onboard phone back onto the receiver. _

_The two men slowly turned in their chairs to face her. "Who was that?"_

"_We might have a problem."_

"_Finn, take the helm," Jesse hissed._

_Finn nodded, turning back around and staring at the controls blankly. _

_Jesse crossed over to April's chair, "Who was that?" he repeated. _

"_President Snow. He wanted us to stop and give our location."_

"_Did you tell him?"_

"_No," April rolled her eyes, "you heard me hang up on him!"_

"_So he admitted to not knowing where… Finn!" The ship had just lurched and was dipped downward at an alarming angle. Jesse half-walked, half-slid back to his chair, holding onto it so he that could sit down. He pushed Finn out of the way, grumbling "Idiot" under his breath. _

_The ground was approaching at a very fast pace, and as much as Jesse tried to pull them up, the most he could manage was to make sure that they weren't in a compete nose-dive._

* * *

><p>"That can't be good." Finn said, his hands on his hips. They were outside the ship, surveying the damage done by the crash. There was a huge dent in the front, wires sticking out.<p>

Jesse crossed his arms, glaring at the damage like that could fix it. "I'll get it flying again."


	22. False Calm

**A Dangerous Game**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Two: False Calm<strong>

"Blaine," Kurt mumbled, stretching out and yawning. He sat up, his eyelids heavy with leftover sleep. "How long wa…" he yawned, "was I asleep?"

"Not long," Blaine said, kissing his forehead, and then, when Kurt looked up at him, his lips. "I was actually thinking of joining you. It's getting late."

The sun was setting, so it wasn't _that _late. But after a long day in the sun it just seemed that way. The light was casting a multitude of golden hued colors on the water, looking like liquid gold. "It's beautiful." Kurt whispered.

"Yeah," Blaine agreed quietly, his voice dark, all emotional undertones closed off.

"What's wrong?" Kurt asked, sitting up. He watched Blaine with round blue eyes.

Blaine cleared his throat, "There were two cannon shots while you were asleep."

"So that means…"

"There are only three of us left. Kurt I think this is our last night in the Games…" then he added silently, _our last night together_.

Kurt seemed to understand. Everything had boiled down to that moment. They couldn't pretend anymore. By this time the next day, only one person would be leaving the arena. Kurt sniffed, "I love you so much," he said, his voice choked with emotion.

"I will always love you," Blaine embraced him tightly. "You're the love of my life. No matter what happens," he whispered in his ear, "I want you to know that my love will always be in your heart and yours in mine." He paused, and then burst out laughing, "That was really cheesy wasn't it."

Kurt giggled, "It really was." He leaned and kissed him, taking time to memorize the way Blaine's lips felt on his.

* * *

><p>"It's working!" Jesse popped his head out of the ship, looking very pleased with himself. He gestured for his two companions to reenter the ship, which, while he was working, he had declared a Finn-Free Zone. April had gotten bored of looking over Jesse's shoulder and had gone outside with Finn after a few minutes.<p>

Finn retook his seat next to Jesse, but was careful to exaggerate putting his hands as far away from the controls as possible. Jesse shook his head, and pointed Finn back to the rear seat. April happily took his place in the front.

The ship shakily lifted itself off the ground, dipping slightly then straightening itself out. "Right, let's get out of here." He moved the ship up to the sky where it belonged, branches scratching the bottom. Jesse winced at the sound wondering how much more damage the trees were doing to the hull. He flipped a button and was rewarded with a cheerful beep. "Looks like the auto pilot is still working. We should be at the Arena…"

"Hey Jesse… have a look at this." Finn was looking intently at a display in the back, a very worried expression on his face.

Jesse growled, getting up from his seat and stalking over to Finn, "What is it Hudson?" He looked over Finn's shoulder and his eyes widened. On the radar there were five little dots closing in on them from all directions. Jesse swore; they had no way to run.

* * *

><p>Seneca Crane was getting tired of this, of waiting. The two lover boys were lying by the seaside like they didn't have a care in the world and Sebastian Smythe was on the other side of the Cornucopia completely unaware that his prey were but only an hour's walk away. And it was Crane's job to make sure that they <em>didn't<em> meet, because Snow wanted them as 'bait'! It was infuriating!

The phone rang and Crane snatched it up before his workers could even register the sound. "Yes?"

"They're not needed anymore; the problem has been taken care of. End it."

"Very good, sir." This was going to be fun.


	23. Finale

**A Dangerous Game**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Three: Finale<strong>

A bright light woke Kurt. At first he thought it was the sun, but no… _the sun doesn't move_… it doesn't crawl closer to you. Fear tightened its hand around Kurt's heart. He sat up. "Blaine!" he shook him, in a panic, for he now saw that the light was most defiantly not the sun; it was a wall of flame making its way over the water. "Blaine, wake up right now!"

Blinking, Blaine sat up, his eyes adjusting to the light. His jaw dropped. He scrambled to his feet, pulling up Kurt, who was watching the flames like he was in a trance. "Run!" Kurt stumbled back a few feet, his eyes locked on the sight before him. He then turned and fled, Blaine's hand in his, pulling him along.

They made their way to the rocks, sliding down a foot for every two feet the traveled. Kurt glanced over his shoulder; the wall of flame had reached the water's edge. Soon it would be at the tree, under which were… his sai swords! Kurt knew this was the final challenge. He knew the point of the wall of fire was to push the remaining tributes together for one last battle. He also knew that he needed those swords if he was going to survive. "Go! I'll catch up!"

He broke away from Blaine and raced back toward the tree. His feet sunk into the sand making every step feel like a mile. He skidded to a stop, grabbing the swords. The flames were towering above him, like a wave of fire. Kurt could feel it burning his skin and as he ran back to the rocks it was close on the heels, threatening to engulf him but staying just far enough not to do so. Like a sheep being herded by a dog, he had only one way to run.

"Blaine, I told you to go ahead!" Kurt made his way back to the rocky hill. Blaine had already made his way up, and was lying at the top of an outcropping of rock, hands extended to pull Kurt up.

"I wasn't going to leave you."

Kurt grabbed his hands, kicking against the rock to pull himself over the edge of the outcropping. He felt his knee scrap in the process, but paid it no mind.

Blaine helped him to his feet and they both took off towards the Cornucopia, knowing that that was where the Gamemakers wanted them to go. From the other side of the clearing, a figure shot from the trees. Without a doubt, Kurt knew it was Sebastian.

Kurt stopped, hesitant to confront the Career, but the flames were relentless and pushed him forward. Blaine ducked into the mouth of the Cornucopia, Kurt at his heels. Sebastian made it in just as the flames closed over the mouth, effectively trapping them in the Cornucopia. It seemed like it should be hot enough to cook them alive, but it was more of an annoying tickle, a promise that things would become much more unpleasant if they didn't fight.

Sebastian had his sword drawn, the dried blood on it visible by the quivering light of the fire. Kurt held up his sais defensively and Blaine withdrew his own sword.

Everyone froze for a few seconds then all hell broke loose. Sebastian jumped forward, promptly bringing the hilt of his sword down onto Kurt's head and simultaneously sweeping the blade up to meet Blaine's sword.

Kurt stumbled back, dazed. The room seemed to be spinning and he had to blink to keep the blood out of his eyes. He fell to the ground, feeling like he was about to pass out. With effort he pushed himself to his feet, swaying.

The world seemed to be spinning. Voices echoed and Kurt couldn't tell if it was Blaine and Sebastian taunting each other or if the voices were just in his head.

After a few seconds everything started to come into focus. Blaine and Sebastian were on the other side of the Cornucopia, each one seeming to get the upper hand, and then the other overwhelming his opponent.

Kurt knew he needed to help Blaine, but he couldn't make himself move, the pounding in his head growing stronger.

Sebastian swung around and kicked Blaine right in his healing wound. Blaine gasped, and dropped his sword.

"No!" Kurt heard the scream and it wasn't until a second later that he realized that it was his own. His mind seemed to snap back into focus, and Kurt threw one of his sais, aiming for Sebastian's heart. Sebastian must not have had one, because instead of embedding itself into his chest it hit his throat. His eyes went wide and he just stood there, blood dripping from his lips, before dropping still to the floor.

Blaine jumped away from the body, hurrying over to Kurt's side. Kurt was shaking, looking at the fallen tribute in horror. Blaine held him, turning him away from the body. "Shh… it's over. It's over."

Kurt wept into his shoulder, "I just want this to be over."

Blaine took something small out of his pocket. "You could win." Kurt wiped tears out of his eyes, trying to focus on what Blaine held in his hand; it was a single dark berry.

Kurt's frowned, and then comprehension dawned on his face, "Where did you get that?" He reached for the berry, but Blaine held it out of his reach. "Blaine that's poisonous…"

"I know. I found it last night while you were asleep…" Blaine whispered, turning the berry over in his hand. Kurt tried to grab it again, "Don't… Kurt stop!"

Kurt did so, taken aback by Blaine yelling at him. "Please give it to me," he held out his hand, palm up. "Blaine, don't do this."

"I love you…"

"Blaine don't..!"

* * *

><p><strong>To Be Continued...<strong>


	24. Lamentable Tragedy

**A Dangerous Game**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Four: <strong>

**Lamentable Tragedy**

Before Kurt could stop him, Blaine popped the berry in his mouth. He swallowed, surprised at the sweetness of it. At first he thought that perhaps he had been mistaken in thinking the berry was poisonous, but then a wave of nausea hit him, simultaneously feeling like being punched in the stomach and like all his energy was being wrung out of him.

Dizzy, he grabbed onto Kurt's arms for support as the poison speedily started taking effect and he began to lose the ability to stand. Kurt gently eased him onto the ground, his eyes brimming with tears. "Whatever happened to our deal, Blaine? We promised each other that we would survive this."

"You promised me you wouldn't kill, remember? Sometimes," he coughed, hacking and choking. Kurt held him through the convulsions. "Sometimes," Blaine continued, "promises have to be broken." He looked up at Kurt, golden eyes clouding over, "I love you so much."

"I love you, Blaine! Please don't leave me!"

"Kurt…" he whispered.

"Don't… don't you dare leave me. I never thought anyone would love me until I met you."

Blaine smiled, chuckling. His laugh turned to hacking coughs, and he clung onto Kurt's shirt, moaning from the pain. He relaxed slightly, lying back on the ground. "You are so amazing… and sweet… and high pitched…"

Kurt snorted, then collected himself.

"There… that's better… you have such a nice smile…" Blaine tried to push himself up to meet Kurt's lips, but collapsed back to the ground, exhausted from the slightest action. Kurt understood, bending over to touch their lips together. A tear fell from his cheek onto Blaine's. "I love you," Blaine whispered. His eyes had slowly started to close.

"Blaine, don't do this. I love you! Don't leave me! Don't... Blaine?" Blaine had stopped breathing, lying still.

The wall of fire snapped away, leaving behind the smell of burnt air. "Congratulations, you are the..."

"No!" Kurt screeched. "No, I'm not leaving him. We leave together… we leave here together or neither of us do..." he looked around wildly, searching Blaine's pockets for another berry.

"Don't you have another?" he said hysterically, "One for me Blaine? Why don't you have one for me?" he dug around in Blaine's left jacket pocket, his hand closing around something hard. He freed the slender knife from its casing and turned it over and over in his hands, trying to remember where Blaine had got it. _Oh yes, from Harmony!_ It seemed so long ago, but it couldn't have been more than two weeks, maybe even one. Kurt closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Then he slowly leaned down and pressed his lips onto Blaine's still ones, gently sliding the knife into his heart. A shot of pain consumed him and he moaned, his heart clenching over the object protruding into it. Kurt gasped, collapsing next to Blaine. He wrenched the knife from his chest, which took a lot more effort than pushing it in had done. It didn't hurt… it had at first… now he was just numb. Kurt pulled himself as close to Blaine's body as was possible. He closed his eyes, going limp.

_I will always love you_ was his final thought before his life snapped out of existence.

That was the year that the Hunger Games had no winner.


End file.
